


We Aren't All Meant To Fly

by SilverDragonessQueen



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Blood, Dragonriderstuck, F/F, F/M, Fantasy, Guards, Knight, M/M, Magic, Slow Burn, Swearing, an extra slow burn cause I'm a mess and can't follow my outlines, castle - Freeform, dragon - Freeform, dragonstuck, kingdom - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-24
Updated: 2017-04-22
Packaged: 2018-05-15 20:44:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 99,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5799313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverDragonessQueen/pseuds/SilverDragonessQueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the horrorterrors emerged from the ocean 4 centuries ago, the kings and queens of the lands fear for their lives as the enemy infiltrates their territories. The Prince of Breath sends a letter to the closest knight and asks for help in taking care of his friend in visit, the Prince of Time. Karkat responds to the letter, and begins a journey to the Kingdom of Breath where he needs to face the challenge of taking care of the difficult Prince.</p><p>John is invited to his sister's kingdom in order to prepare for his birthday and his coronation as the next King of Breath.<br/>Karkat is forced to spend more time with Dave, and while the Prince likes to cause troubles, Karkat finds himself enjoying his company. His feelings soon develop into something more, and he needs to decide whether to ignore them, or embrace them in this way accepting the possibility of getting punished for it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Honour your dragon

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted to draw some dragons and knights but it all involved into something greater. As a lover of fantasy I started working on the story, some minor parts of it and how it would all look like.  
> My friend decided to help me with it and thought it would go to waste if I didn't at least try to write it. I owe her a great deal since she came up with almost more than half of it.  
> So there it is, the first chapter to an idea, to something not completely developed but something that could be.
> 
> English isn't my first language, and I didn't really have someone to read through half of the first chapter. If you see something that sounds weird, please correct me.  
> I also won't be writing on a schedule. I'm still in high school, have practices and homework. Not much free time on my hands.
> 
> Let's see how this goes...

"-About that time, 400 solar sweeps ago, Beforia had been attacked by a vicious imposter coming from the depths of the Vast Salt Lake often referred to as the Silent ocean..."

It was a chilly autumn day. The forest was painted with iridescent colors, the leaves burning on the branches, reaching towards the sky, trying to touch the sun itself. The dirt road, on which you were traveling, was covered with small muddy puddles created from the recent rain. Some of the dark clouds were still in the sky, but they weren't large enough to cover up the sun which created the little warmth you appreciated so much. Being a rust blooded troll, you needed more warmth than those cold-blooded, arrogant nooksuckers.  
You slightly shake your head to drive off thoughts like those, and get back to reading your book.  
An exciting novel you got from one of the humans you worked for. They were kind enough to talk to you and actually thank you for your services. Oh how happy you were when you received the copy of 'A Kingdom of Prejudice', though you didn't show it. You kindly said thank you and goodbye. Then proceeded to get back to your chamber and read the whole night. Still, you fell asleep half way through so you 'need' to read it now.

"...great army continued to grow as the magic which helped them escape their underwater prison grew stronger. Its source was the omniscient wizard known as the...“

He just won't stop talking. You pretty much got used to it but it's still distracting, especially on this part of the book when nothing is happening. You thought he would keep quiet for the bigger part of the journey but you have been proven wrong.  
Again.  
Maybe it is because you usually sleep during the long walks, or read, and he has nothing to do. So he is basically entertaining himself. Others can fly, have fun in the air, and avoid the dirty and wet roads. But it's also not so bad. You like traveling by foot. The gentle rocking of his body calms you down. And the smell of the fresh autumn air after rain makes you sleepy.

"-But in the end he was interrupted by the Queen of Hope which managed to destroy his crystal ball but the cost of it was her life. The Seer of Mind has defeated the...“  
You sighed. He's never going to stop talking. Not until you reached the town you headed to. Which was still a few hours away.

"Kankri, would you please shut the fuck up? I'm trying to read. Is it too much to ask? Silence? Is that even in your dictionary?“

„It is very rude that you interrupted me in the middle of the exciting story of the beginning of the war we are in. I am certain that every time you hear this story you are able to learn something new about the bravery of the weak humans and their unassertive nature."

"I've heard that boring story a thousand times before. And that's counting only the times you told it!“

"And still, not once have you listened to it."

"Kankri, I swear to Gog, you are so annoying. I can't even have five minutes of time only for myself and a decent book about a truly exciting theme, not just superficial things like Lord English and his 'mighty army'."

"'A Kingdom of Prejudice' is truly an exciting book but I think the author's description of human and troll interactions are completely wrong. I highly doubt a human would ever get into a romantic relationship with a troll. You are aware that their anatomy and our own are incredibly different? Humans, in contrast to trolls, have shorter but thicker bulges which could cause damage to..."

"No, I am not aware of that. I only started existing today and have never heard of these absurd thing you call humans. And furthermore, this mating ritual you are talking about. Take me on this carousel of knowledge which you poses and drive me until I can puke it out for other poor living beings to consume."

"You are being incredibly rude", he growled. You smirked. He just proved that you touched a nerve. You swear his ego is bigger than the army he just spoke of.

"At least this has shut you up.", you say and lean backwards on the soft sleeping bags that were folded and neatly tied up on the back of the saddle. You heard him growl again and saw his mouth getting filled with smoke. You immediately opened your eyes wide but it was too late. He pushed himself off of his front legs as he got into a standing position. He was very unstable just standing on his short back legs but he didn't need to do it for long. You were caught unprepared and fell of his back into a puddle. You saw him smile on the corners of his mouth. His glare was full of pride he just got back. While you had lost yours trying to get out of that puddle.

"You ungrateful lizard! Who the fuck do you thi-", you just remembered your book. Where did it go? It was in your hands before you fell. You look around and soon notice it in a puddle nearby. Your face becomes red with anger.

"You fucking imbecile!!! My book!!! Do you see what you did?!!!“ You point towards the book as he lowers his head towards you.

"Do you remember the first rule you needed to learn before they gave you permission to ride me?"  
You look away and grumble.

"Never disrespect your dragon“, you swear he's laughing inside.  
You growl and get up, pick up your book and try to get back in your saddle.

"You are all muddy and dirty. I don't want all of that dirt over me“, he steps away from you.

"What the fuck are you talking about? You have been walking through these puddles all day now" you point at his feet which are dirty with mud. Even his scarlet belly is obviously smudged.

"Well I don't want any all over the saddle and my back."

"So you expect me to walk all the way to town?" You ask him raising your eyebrows and praying to Gog he'll be reasonable about this.

"Unless you take a bath, yes." he proceeds to walk on his own down the trail.

"Kankri, get the fuck back here! What about rule number two? The dragon shouldn't disrespect his rider?!“ You yell at him. But he doesn't even turn. He just continues to walk.

"Of fucking course!“ You snarl and start chasing him.

"Get the fuck back here, you ungrateful gecko!“  
Kankri notices you chasing him so he starts to run. Fan-fucking-tastic. There is no way you'll catch him now. He's faster than an arrow.

***

After some time Kankri decided to slow down and wait for you, but he still didn’t let you ride him while covered in dirt. He did, however, apologize for throwing your book in the puddle. It was uncalled for, as he said, and that even though half of it is rubbish, it is still a great story about unconditional love that could portrait the highly wanted relation with the humans. And some other stuff he blabbered about that you didn’t bother listening to. The rest of the way you spent talking with him about various things. He can be a little obnoxious sometimes, but he means well. And he comes up with some pretty interesting topics. Mainly about the history of Beforia and its great knights, kings and queens, dragons and their riders, and their enemies.  
Your journey takes some more time than expected. Walking, and generally moving, in your armor isn’t as easy as people think. You need to carry a lot of metal that isn’t flexible. Especially when wet. And the long cape you have isn’t helping either. You don’t remember why you have that cape. It was a stupid thing to add to your outfit. It’s made of heavy fabric and when soaked, it weighs more than double of its weight.  
You were happy about finally reaching your destination because you were traveling all day, since dawn till now, evening. The sun will be setting soon. Your water and food supply is very low. And Kankri would surely like to have a good dinner too. He’s been eating small birds these last couple of days. He hasn’t eaten a solid meal, which consists of a buck and a boar, in some time. Actually from the last town you were in, the town from the kingdom in the north. You miss having a chamber to sleep in. These sleeping bags, although comfortable, can’t be compared to a nice warm bed.  
Finally, from the top of the hill you just reached, you notice the castle lit up by the last rays of sunlight of the day. Underneath it, in the valley, you see the large town surrounded by a wall. You see guards moving around, patrolling the rampart. You wonder if they noticed you, and if they’re aware of your arrival. You witnessed some unpleasant situations before, one of them including being temporarily thrown to the dungeon, which you want to avoid at all cost. Especially when you’re tired like you are now.

“Come on, just a few more miles”, you encourage your dragon and continue walking. Even though Kankri is used to walking long distances, his short legs don’t help his case. He might be fast when he wants to, but you know how tiring it is for him to walk. He had some medical problems with his legs too. Nothing serious but his muscles would get sore very easily and would need a few days to recover.  
The first time this happened you really panicked. True, you were only 10 years old, but that doesn’t mean you needed to cry. Or cause a commotion in the neighborhood. Or scream that your dragon is dying. Or run through the fields and ruin a lot of the planted corpses while yelling uncontrollably. You were a pretty weird kid…  
But you learned more about Kankri throughout the years. He was very sensitive but could fight through the pain. You guess it has something to do with your blood color. You are mutants. You do not belong in the hemospectrum. And yet, there you are. The wingless dragon and his rider. You were an odd team, but a team nonetheless.  
When you reached the gates to the city, you were greeted by a pair of guards. You noticed how they chuckled when noticing Kankri. They were whispering about him, in the distance a few of the people passing by pointed at him. You felt uncomfortable about this, you can’t imagine how Kankri felt. But both of you frowned and decided to show you’re not a laughing matter. He was a dragon, and if needed, he’ll show just how powerful he is.

“Is there something wrong?” you asked the guards sternly, looking at them with a death glare. You straitened yourself to look even taller than usual. It did the trick. One of them coughed, then apologized in the name of both of them.

Humans are so unpleasant, they love too judge. A little too much. And you have no idea why they were like that. Trolls weren’t a small species, they were usually a bit taller than humans, not counting in the horns. And they weren’t that peaceful - developing sharp teeth, long horns and claws wasn’t for nothing. Yet, trolls are usually treated with little respect. They should be ruling over humans, not the other way around.  
Kankri turns his head towards you. He could feel when your emotions were getting out of hand. Although he couldn’t read your mind, he was very close to you, and he could speculate what you were thinking about. One long glare with his tired eyes brought you back into reality. He was obviously annoyed with you paying no attention to your surroundings. He always complains how that’s your biggest problem, being stuck too much in your thoughts. You blinked a few times and started concentrating on the busy street.  
Kankri turned his head forward again.  
You were just walking through a wide street, the two guards leading you in their heavy armors, Kankri right behind them, and you at the end. The people would turn their heads towards your strange group. You guess seeing a knight with a dragon is not very common here. Or, well, seeing a wingless dragon… Kankri didn’t even look at them though, he was serious, probably thinking about making a good first impression in this town. If the job you get goes well, you’ll be staying here for some time.  
The stands with different food, spices and jewelry were slowly closing. Streets were getting less busy by minutes and soon there were only a few people left. Night has already fallen, the town fell into darkness and silence. Only every other house had a torch on its outside walls. But you had no problem with darkness. After all, you felt more comfortable in it anyway.  
The castle wasn’t very far away from the gate where you came in, but it was located slightly above town, on a little hill. It was overlooking the town that way, gave the building more security as well. Made out of stone, looking hard and strong. Thick walls with heavy wooden doors leading to the inside. It only had a few towers, looked more as a fortress than a fancy castle like the other kings had. Probably for a good reason. Maybe the king was afraid of an enemy ambush and wanted to be prepared. You can’t know that.  
Yet.  
You’ve heard stories about how well design it was. The towers were placed on certain places, carefully calculated and planned, not just randomly put somewhere for the sake of looking nice. They had two types of windows, ones that were very nice and big, allowed a lot of light to enter the interior, and others which were small, narrow and ugly looking. They had no frames, nor glass. Just plain holes in the building. But they served a purpose. Because the castle was on higher ground, and in a valley between mountains, wind wasn’t a rarity. When it blew between the towers and into the holes, it would create sound.  
Music actually.  
The building wasn’t called ‘The singing towers’ for nothing. You could hear it now. It sounded like pipe organs. Its sound was so calming, so deep and strong. Like it was protecting the valley, the whole kingdom; created the feeling of security. The watcher of the town, its protector. Indeed beautiful.

When you reached the entrance, you were asked to wait for the king. He would greet you personally, show you the stables for your dragon and welcome you inside.  
You didn’t need to wait long for him to arrive. The great gates opened, revealing a tall, pale man, roughly in his twenties, with raven hair and eyes as blue as the summer sky. On his face a pair of rectangular glasses. He was smiling, revealing his slightly buck, white teeth. He was wearing a blue suit, appropriate for his status, and a crown on the top of his head with a design implying of his aspect, breath.  
He cheerfully greeted you, and you bowed out of respect. Kankri did the same.

“No need for that. Please, rise.”  
At least he’s polite. Maybe this job will be easier than the last one.

“I believe you are the Knight of Blood I heard so much about. Karkat Vantas, and his famous dragon, Kankri. Or do you want me to call you by another name?”

“No need, this is fine.”

“Then Sir Vantas it is. I believe referring to your bloodline name will be suited for now; at last, we only met today. It would be impolite to do otherwise.”  
Whatever, you’ve been called by many names and you don’t care how you’re called now. The king took a good look at you and your dragon, showing concern.

“My name is John II., of the Egbert bloodline; the Heir of Breath.”

“You’ve been travelling all day I presume. I think showing the dragon where it’s going to sleep is in order.”

“I would rather not be called an ‘it’, my Lord.” Kankri spoke with a formal voice, just sounding insulted, but not implying it with his behavior.

“Oh yes! My apologies! I am not yet well accustomed with having dragons around so... Follow me, we’ll talk on the way”, he made a gesture with his hand towards the right and started walking on the dirt road that was leading behind the castle. You approached the king, put your hands behind your back in a formal manner.

“You were saying?”

“As you see, I am very young for a king. Well actually, I am still a prince, though I will be crowned soon. Anyway, I haven’t worked with trolls nor dragons before. I was raised here, where my family thought I would be safe from the enemies, the self-proclaimed ‘horrorterrors’, and kept me in isolation from the rest of the world. I only visited my sister a few times in the neighboring kingdom but… Oh, here we are.”

There was a small building there, lighted from the inside. You could see through the double doors into the stables. It looked warm. The floor was covered with hard stone and it was split in sections separated by metal barriers. The sections were not very big, probably reserved for younger dragons, or smaller bloodlines. There were three sections, two smaller ones, and one big one. The bigger one was located on one side of the building, taking nearly half of the space inside. In the center of it there was a pile of firewood. On one side of it there was a barrel of water which made Kankri very happy. He could finally clean up.  
“I am not yet aware of your meal habits, so I wasn’t sure what to order as dinner for you. From what I have read, dragons located on the lower half of the hemospectrum are fond of meat, especially forest animals. So I hope two fully grown reindeers will be good enough.” The king showed towards a pile in the dark, just outside of the building, with visible outlines of the antlers. Kankri smiled and slightly bowed his head out of gratitude.

“Thank you very much for your kindness.”  
Karkat looked at Kankri then turned to face the king.

“Your majesty, could we return to the castle. I myself am tired from the journey.”

“Oh yes, of course.” he said and led you back towards the castle. On the way you heard how Kankri started gorging on the fresh meal. John wanted to turn around but you stopped him by quickly grabbing his hand.

“I apologize, but he doesn’t like to be looked at while eating. And it’s not a pretty sight either for somebody who isn’t used to it.” John swallowed. He probably pictured it in his head. You smiled knowing he didn’t notice you.

You finally enter the castle. The royal blue color dominates the decorations, along with golden details. Large paintings on the wall describing events of the aristocrats, golden chandeliers decorating the ceiling, tapestries covering up the cold walls. You expected nothing less.  
He led you to the dining room where all the food has already been placed on the table. Sauces sliding down the crusty skin of a freshly baked chicken, the delightful smell stupefying you. Red wine glistering under the light, beckoning you with its sweet taste. You almost forgot your manners and ran towards the table stuffing yourself with the long-awaited meal. But John was the one who needed to sit down first.  
Curse these royal statuses! Why can’t we all be equal and eat food normally? Not wait for others! And use spoons! Who even uses spoons these days? Who would like to eat soup or sauces anyways? Just a waste of time!  
But soon enough you got to your meal, and you and John started the conversation again.

“You mentioned you have a sister?”

“Yes, the Queen of Life. We weren’t always separated. We lived in this castle together. But as she turned 18 she needed to move to another kingdom, a one she should rule over. Though she wasn’t crowned till she was 20, but she needed to get to know her land. I miss her a lot here, we were quite the tricksters when we were younger. The people in the town hated when we would come down and run through the streets” he laughs and looks at his hands. He intervened his fingers, moving them slightly, clutching them harder together.

“I miss her here. It has been so quiet without her…” Silence started to creep into the room. You felt bad for him, you could see how close they were. You wonder if he has any friends here. Being royal, he probably doesn’t spend much time with people from the city. Or talks to them.  
You decide to continue the conversation again.

“You said you weren’t accustomed to dragons. Haven’t you had knights before? I thought that was a common thing for people of high rank, having dragonriders as soldiers and guards.”

“It is. But we never needed it before. This land is smaller than the other kingdoms, there isn’t much to conquer. There aren’t a lot of aristocrats living here, not many traders and bankers. the ocean is quite far, and the terrain is unfriendly so the transportation isn’t good either. When people travel, they usually avoid going through here. We aren’t threatened because we aren’t a threat. My kingdom isn’t as important as others, so up until now, I saw no reason to request a knight by my side.”

“Are you threatened now? Is that why you changed your mind?”

“Well actually, you are here for a different matter.” A different matter? You are worried about what that might be, but also curious. All your jobs before were practically commanding over a bunch of soldiers or being a personal guard for a person of a higher status. 

“May I know what that matter is?”

“’What’ is actually a ‘who’, an ally and a good friend of mine. But a very important person, more important than me. He is visiting for a… while”, hearing that short pause made you wonder if he was telling you everything, or, more importantly, is he even sure of what he’s saying.

“The Prince of Time. Actually, soon to be King of Time. He is staying here due to some troubles in his kingdom. The horrorterrors were quickly approaching and they sent him here, the safest kingdom they knew. Well… closest. Since we are neighbors”, the king chuckled.

“Shouldn’t he be having dinner with us?”  
It was usually accustomed that all the aristocrats currently in the castle have their meals together. Unless they’re incapable of doing that due to illness, other duties, et cetera.

“He is! But… That’s the problem. And this is why I need your help. He can sometimes be too adventurous, forgetting his duties, acting like a little kid. Neglecting important occasions…” he said through his teeth clearly looking enraged by his behavior. You looked at him with a slight concern on your face, so he instantly straightened his posture, loosened his shoulders and coughed.

“Please excuse my rudeness. He can get on my nerves sometimes. I really try to understand him. Being a king and having duties that are awfully boring is very tiring. But we sometimes need to overcome the feeling of laziness and disrespect to do what is needed”, you nod your head and the king smiles.

“Thank you for understanding Sir Vantas. I hope he’s not going to cause much trouble, but I can’t promise anything. I just hope he’s here soon because I am getting really close to…” you saw him frown and clench his fists at the table. You wanted to speak up but a loud clash interrupted you.

Glass shards started flying through the room, knocking down some food on the table, along with glasses and plates, creating even more sharp parts somebody could get hurt on. The flames on the torches fluttered on the wind that blew through the window, then one by one extinguished. Darkness covered the room which was now only lit up by the moonlight coming from outside. In a split second you jumped from your chair taking your sword out of its scabbard. You rushed to the king putting yourself in front of him and crouching down in a position in which you could easily defend him if need be. You growled looking at the shadow of a man which appeared on the table. He was standing tall, his face covered by the darkness. His head was covered with a hood, but had a weird shape, as if he was wearing something on his head beneath the cloak. You growled trying to intimidate the potential threat. But before either you or the silhouette could do anything, John rose up.

“Dave!!! I told you a hundred times not to do any more dramatic entrances! Especially not today! I told you to be here half an hour early, you came an hour late!” he yelled furiously.

“Come on John, it’s irony”, the figure turned and smiled. He took down his hood revealing his white hair and golden crown. His eyes were of a burning red color, illuminated by the faint moonlight, but hidden under a pair of sunglasses. Which is weird, since it was nighttime. When he talked, he revealed his white, straight teeth. He was wearing an armor, which, again, was weird for someone of his status. Especially during private hours, when he was inside the castle. This raised the question was he in the castle before making an entrance, or was he somewhere else. A sign on the chest piece marked his aspect; a bright red gear carved in the hard metal.

“Sir Vantas, I apologize for this inconvenience. You can relax now”, you had forgotten you’re still in a defensive position. You stand up and put your sword back in its scabbard. Your eyes are on the prince, squinting and frowning so the prince would know you do not approve of his actions. And you also wanted to show him that you want to be respected, not taken as a fool. He looked at you puzzled, maybe because you were a stranger. Or maybe because you just looked stupid when you’re pretending to be angry. People said your normal face looks angry enough.

“Dave, get off the table”, John waved with his hand turning his back to the prince.

“You see John, the irony in this is that you expected for me to do this. But you still did nothing about it”, he chuckled.

“I sent 3 guards to watch over you! Where the fuck did you even lose them?”

“I think the last time I saw them was at the horse stables before I got out with Lil’ Cal”, he jumped of the table and sat down. He grabbed an apple and started turning it around in his hands.

“Hey, do we have any aj?”

“Wait. Where’s Lil’ Cal? You do know that horse is a prized possession from your father? You can’t just leave it somewhere”, he looked at Dave with his hand over his forehead.

“Oh nah, he’s fine”, he looked around as if he’s trying to find something.

“But he’s late”, he looked disappointed.

“Late???” John jumped up smashing his hands on the table and leaning forward.

“What do you mean…”, just then the large doors through which you and John entered about half an hour ago was opened and a horse trotted in. He was slim, you would say he’s used for show, not riding. His fur was mostly light orange, or brownish but he had darker spots on his cheeks. His eyes were of a light blue color, which was uncommon for horses, but possible. With those large blue eyes and variation of color on his cheeks, he looked unusual. Somehow he reminded you of a doll. His mane was very light, almost white. Maybe that is why the prince’s father was fond of him, it matched his son’s hair. Who knows, this is just your stupid assumption.

“Dave, I swear I’m on the verge of sending you back to the horrorterrors!” John was obviously trying to keep his calm but couldn’t. His face went from pale to intense red as he clenched his teeth, revealing his overbite.  
Lil’ Cal neighed and approached his owner. Dave petted him and handed him the apple which the horse happily started munching on.

“This is why I need your help Sir Vantas”, John looked at you. You saw how irritated he was by the prince, but he still cared for him. Those were all empty threats he just said.

“He is a handful of work, and I wouldn’t do this to you if I could handle it myself”, he waved with his hand asking you to move closer. You sat to the chair next to him and leaned over the table.

“The horrorterrors are after all the rulers. Even me. The Kingdom of Time has been attacked and he was sent here before the enemy reached the castle. His hometown was set on fire and burned to the ground. He can’t go back”, he looked at Dave who was playing with the horse, giving it more apples and talking about who knows what.

“Sir Vantas, please, you need to watch over him. There are assassins in the town, people who want us dead. I don’t need protection, but he does. He will get himself killed if I don’t take care of him”, you could see fear in his eyes as he talked. He was playing with his hands. You could see he bites his nails too. His fingers are in horrible shape. This situation is providing so much stress for him.  
This is not sounding good to you. You’re going to be a babysitter for this guy, a 18 year old who can’t take care of himself. You had some nasty missions before but this is the far worst. You would rather walk to the next kingdom and work for some small money than this.  
John saw your expression of discomfort. He grabbed your hand.

“Money isn’t a problem. I may have a small kingdom but these mountains are rich with valuable material. You will also be having a place to stay here, in the castle. You are welcomed to join us for meals. You won’t find a deal like this in the neighboring kingdoms, I assure you.”  
You frowned. That was indeed a good deal, and you needed some new equipment too. But you were still unhappy about doing this.

“Very well.”  
You looked at Dave as he finally realized you two were having a conversation without him.

“I am feeling insulted because you girls left me out of your gossip telling” he crossed his arms and lifted one eyebrow while looking at John. John coughed and apologized. You stood up so you could walk to your seat once again. The king suddenly grabbed your hand and looked you in the eyes.

“I do expect of you to do your job…” he let go of you and turned to the table again.  
“…Sir Vantas.”

You scoffed not caring if the king heard you. You finally got back to your seat and sat down.


	2. Follow your orders

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I had some time on my hands and got positive feedback from the last chapter, I was very excited to finish the second one faster than I would usually take. :)  
> Also, if you want to see the designs for the characters, they can be found [here](http://sintarija.tumblr.com/tagged/Dragonriderstuck)!
> 
> No Dave yet, but I should make his design sooner or later :)

“Now…” John exclaimed clapping his hands. A few maids came in and lined up next to the king. John stood up and made a few gentle motions with his hands. Wind started blowing in the room; around the table and the things on it. It only gathered up the little glass shards, didn’t move anything else. The shards were delicately transferred to the floor, in one of the corners.

“Please, clean it up. As quietly and quickly as possible. Also, light up the room”, he ordered.

“Yes, my lord”, the 3 maids bowed and went to work. While one of them was starting to light up the torches again, the other 2 rushed to get brooms.

“You weren’t formally introduced yet. The Prince of Time, Dave II., of the Strider bloodline, this is Sir Karkat Vantas. He will be serving as your personal guard.”  
You nodded. Dave seemed to be confused with this. He surely wasn’t expecting John to hire a professional knight.

“John, what the fuck do I need a babysitter for”, he looked at John. Well at least you’re on the same side for this job.  
“He is not a babysitter, Dave.”

“You need to loosen up. Nothing is going to happen to me”, he took out his sword and threw it on the table. You guess he wanted to make a point by doing that. But not everyone with a sword is dangerous. Especially with that sword.

“I can take care of myself”, he smiled.

“Dave, that’s half a sword. I have no idea how you could just break a sword and decide to use it without fixing it.” You smirked and Lil’ Cal neighed.

“Get this damned horse out of here!” John yelled and another maid appeared taking the horse’s reins. She pulled him out of the dining room.

“Hey man! Lil’ Cal did nothing wrong!”

“He is a horse. He belongs in the stables, not in the castle.” John rolled his eyes.

You can’t understand how somebody could be so obnoxious. Bringing a horse in the castle and acting like a child. And he was about 20 years old, not to mention that he is going to be crowned soon.  
And you are the one who is going to take care of him. This is not going to be an easy job. Nor a job you are going to enjoy.

“It was a joke, John. There’s nothing wrong with having some fun sometimes.”

“We are at war, Dave. There are people trying to kill us!”

“We are going to know when they attack. We’ve been at this war for nearly 400 years! There weren’t any attacks for some time now. We’re safe here!”

“That is what your mother also thought!” John raised his voice and stood up, smashing his hands onto the table. Dave reacted instantly. He stood up as well, grabbing his sword. He swung it and pointed the end at John.

“You dare mention my mother’s death as if it were my fault”, his voice cracked and his body started shaking.

“The horrorterrors killed my mother!” he took a deep breath. You could sense how painful it was for him to even mention her.

“But you are the one who killed your mother! Rosalyn died because of you!”, he turned around, rushing out of the dining room. Silence struck the room as John was standing with his head down, looking at his trembling hands. His glasses were getting foggy. You weren’t sure what you’re supposed to do in this situation. So you decided to at least speak up.

“My Lord, are you…”

“I’m fine!” he yelled out as if trying to convince himself, not you.

“Get out!”

You did as he said and went to the hallway. You were mad as well. They are kids. And you are going to be their babysitter. This isn’t a job you wanted, this is below your level of expertise. A troll, a dangerous creature which could kill with no regret, is somehow below these asstards.  
As you were rushing through the hallways, you remembered nobody showed you to your room. And you don’t want to deal with any of this who-killed-whose-mother shit anymore.

“Great! I’m loving this more by every minute!”

This is why trolls don’t have parents. They are assigned to a lusus, a guardian for the first 6 years of their life, which teaches them valuable survival skills. You learnt how to hunt, find or build a shelter if needed, take care of yourself and your dragon. It wasn’t a big deal when it left to take care of another troll. And you didn’t care if it left you earlier than other trolls. It probably knew you had the capability to survive on your own even though you were 4. It knew you could deal with people and other trolls picking on you because of Kankri’s disability. It was nothing special, and made you stronger. Made you and Kankri closer than other trolls and their dragons…

You realize you’ve been wondering the hallways for some time, not especially paying attention to where you’re going. You think you even reached the second floor. Which was stupid because you were trying to exit the castle. So you muttered some curses and started concentrating on finding the door.  
It didn’t take you as long as you thought. The castle was big, yet you think you got the hang of how the hallways work, which rooms they lead to and where they connect. Although the stairways which lead to the towers are still confusing.

You went back to Kankri’s stables. He was just about to light up the fire around his bed. It wasn’t really a fire, but a flame, just enough to keep the wood lit up, to keep the stables warm. It was very important for you two to stay warm during the nights. You remember how there were some nights you think you barely survived with him. Your mutation was the one to blame. You were lower ranked on the hemospectrum, which meant you had warmer blood, but you actually weren’t even on it. Your body temperature was even higher than of trolls which are located on the very edge. Because of that you needed even more heat to stay alive.

“How come you got back? Do you need something?”

“Yeah, I need my sanity back! Those fuckers are so incredibly annoying. I think the only sane one of them is that damned horse!”

“Would you mind getting the saddle of my back?”

You approached him, started undoing the belt around his belly. The saddle was pretty heavy, but you got used to it. You removed it, put it a few meters away so it won’t get damaged by the hot logs. You also removed your armor, the metal parts, left the long sleeved shirt and pants. As well as the chest part since you couldn’t remove it by yourself. You rustled your black hair and looked at Kankri.  
Kankri settled down, laid down on the floor and curled his tail around himself. He moved his head slightly, inviting you to sit down. You sat on the floor, near his belly, leaned back on his side. He put his tail over your legs. Even though his blood matched the color of yours, he was a dragon, so his body temperature was warmer than yours.

“I don’t like this job!”, you huffed angrily.

“You are well aware we don’t have a choice. We can’t get replaced here. Our blood color is a problem we can’t avoid, and it causes us more troubles than we can handle. But the King of Breath… We are lucky he doesn’t know who he’s dealing with.”

“Why does the hemospectrum even exsist?! Not only are we below humans, we are even below those shallow purple-blooded assholes! Not to mention the weak rust-blooded idiots who can’t even form a proper revolution. I bet the fucking seadwellers came up with that system!”

“We can blame everyone for our misfortune but ourselves. Still, it’s not going to change the situation.”

“I blame everyone but ourselves because everyone but ourselves is to blame! I don’t care for the hemospectrum! I don’t care for our ranks! Why do we need this shit in our lives! Don’t we suffer enough?!” Your voice began to crack. Kankri noticed it and lowered his head towards you.

“Karkat… It is hard. For me and you. I know how you feel. But yelling about it won’t do us good. Complaining about it is useless. This won’t just go away because you want it to.”

You did want to yell. You wanted to yell at him too because he seemed so calm about it, because to you it seemed he was on their side.

But you didn’t.

He could feel your anger, but also your pain. And you could feel his too. Even though he wasn’t showing it. So you decided to keep your mouth closed.  
You sighed.

“John and Dave were arguing about losing their ‘mothers’. Does that huge head of yours hold any information about that?”

“In fact it does. While you read cheap romance books, I choose to learn”, you gave him a frowned look and he smirked, knowing he hit a nerve.

“Especially about our past. The Mother of the Prince of Time was called Elizabeth, and she ruled over her land along with the King of Heart. 13 years ago, when the horrorterrors were quickly advancing in the Kingdom of Heart, the King went to protect his castle by gathering his army…”

As Kankri was telling the story, your eyelids started to become heavier. You were so tired from the journey, and all this yelling and stress about the new job didn’t help. Kankri’s soft voice was so calming to you. You felt secure like this, your body heated by his warmth.  
His words became distant as you began to drowse away. Your senses numbed as your eyes finally closed.  
Only the quiet whispers coming from the dragon reached you. And that’s the only thing you needed.

***

Gentle singing of birds woke you up from your long sleep. The strong smell of burned logs filled the room, made the air stuffy, but prevented the cold morning air to come in the room. You opened your eyes, stretched your arms out and carefully got up. Kankri was still sleeping. Well, not really. You saw him moving, but he was too lazy to get up. And you didn’t want to bother him. He was walking for a long time, had a good meal yesterday that he needs to digest. So he deserved his rest.  
You got up, went to that barrel filled with water. Kankri used some of it, but there was a whole lot of it left. So you took some in your hands, washed your face, freshened up.  
You put your armor on again, but cursed quietly when you remembered you didn’t put it to dry of. Actually, it was dry, but the puddles you fell in were muddy and now all that mud is stuck to your cape and boots. The boots were pretty easy to clean though. Scraping off dirt from metal wasn’t hard. You just added water and wiped it off with some rag you had in your bag. But your cape… You’re going to look like a mess today.

You growl as you exit the stables. This day didn’t begin perfectly.  
As you left the backyard, you noticed Dave leaving the castle. You wonder where he’s headed. It is breakfast time, John is probably waiting by the table.

“Hmmm… Oh! Sir Vantas!” Dave finally notices you.

“Good morning”, you greeted him and slightly bowed out of respect.  
“Where are you headed?” You are his guard as of yesterday. Might as well do your job.

“To town. This place is boring”, he scoffs and looks at the still silent town below the hill.

“Shouldn’t we be having breakfast first?”

“You can; I’m not. You are my guard, but not my nanny, Vantas.” You raise your eyebrows.  
That little piece of shit! You barely said anything and he’s being a fucking dick to you. But you needed to stay calm. He was of higher rank than you. 

“I apologize if I seemed like I was degrading you, Lord. Still, isn’t the king awaiting us by the table?”

“You can call him John when he’s not around. And no, he’s not. He’s still… Upset about yesterday.”  
Dave did go too far. But John did as well. They should use the energy for those fucking quarrels for something else. Like fighting the horrorterrors. No wonder they’re a threat for 400 years. Everybody is acting like spoiled brats, accusing each other for their mothers’ deaths and what not.

“It’s better we give him space then. I will escort you to town.”

“There’s no need, Vantas. I can take care of myself.”

You sigh. Does he need to be this stubborn? He would make your job a lot easier if he just accepted your role.

“I insist. Maybe you don’t need me, but…”

“I don’t.” You take a deep breath.

“But I still answer to John. And the instructions he gave me were to look after you. I will not interfere with the work you have in the town, but I do need to follow you. Just as a precaution.” Dave put his hands on his hips, turned to look at the castle, then sighed. He shook his head and laughed.

“As I said, I don’t need y…” That’s it! You had enough!

You pulled your sword out of your scabbard. With a quick move of your hand the blade started flying through the air, reaching the prince’s neck with full speed.  
But the metal clatter made you frown. Two swords, yours and the broken one, were intertwined together, both pressed against each other on the blades. He was fast.

“I don’t need your help”, he said sternly, but a faint smile on the corner of his face indicated that he was in fact making fun of you.

You smirked.  
“You are fast, my Lord. I don’t deny it. But not careful enough.”

Dave lowered his view as he felt something on his side. A blade, from a dagger, pressed against his abdomen, ready to cause damage, already ripping through the fabric.

“Your armor, although protecting you, has its flaws. And the enemy won’t follow the ruler of your fencing lessons. There are no ruler in war”, you stepped back, putting your dagger back in its place on your belt.

“I am coming with you”, your voice was stern, making the prince know you’re not to be played with. He wasn’t pleased with this, deciding to turn away from you and ignore you while he started walking down the path towards the town. You rolled your eyes and began following him.

He could at least walk slower. His armor is lighter than yours.

***

You were approaching the city as the sun started shining brighter. A thin layer of mist covered the city streets. The air was fresh, filled with sweet aromas coming from nearby houses. The folk was already preparing lunch, even though the day only started. Some people needed to take their lunch with them to work. The stands were slowly opening, various merchandise was being sorted on the tables, cages with animals stacked, the food carefully put on plates or in crates.  
The streets were soon full of people. But Dave kept his pace, even started walking faster. Since you were taller than most of the citizens, you could see a bit better in the crowd. But being a few inches taller wasn’t a big advantage. Besides being taller, you were also a bit bigger. You kept running into people, had problems with moving around. It was difficult for you to move. But Dave was slick. One moment he was there, the other he disappeared behind the corner. You only saw a swift move of his cloak.

“Fuck!!!” you growled. You can’t move like this, and he really wants to escape from you.

You don’t have time for these games. You will guard him. You will keep this stupid job. You will earn some fucking respect. Nobody fucks around with you like that!  
But you can’t move like that on the streets. You’ll need another plan.

The houses here seem to be close to each other, only separated when there’s a street between them. They’re not high, but a better view of the streets nonetheless. Ok, you’ll go with that.  
A stand with a bunch of crates in front of it appears not far from you.  
You smile taking a head start, running towards the crates, using them as stairs, then jumping from them. You reach out with your hand, grabbing the edge of a window. You have probably been noticed by a lot of people, but you don’t care. The quicker you find Strider, the better. So you pull yourself up, stand on the ridge of the window and evaluate the next jut you could hold onto. It took you a few seconds but as soon as you saw it, you leaped to it, grabbed it and managed to get to the roof. When you saw how the top of the buildings looked like, you realized how this was perhaps a bad idea after all.  
The roofing of these houses was awful. Many had holes, weak tiles, or made of rotten wood. If you’re not careful, you are going to fall through them. You take a deep breath and decide to still go through with this plan. There’s no way you’ll find Dave in the crowd by going back down.  
So you crouch down, squint to make yourself concentrate on the exact spot where you’re going to land, then you jump. The landing was messy, you almost slipped, but didn’t fall. And you feel more confident now that the first jump is done. You jump again, run over the roofs, over the chimneys, and still keep your eyes on the streets. It didn’t take you long to locate him.  
Although he was fast. You’ll need to step up your game.

You follow him across the town, panting while trying to catch up. You swear your stamina was better a month ago.

While jumping over the houses, you catch a figure in the corner of your eye. No, not a figure, only a shadow. You thought it was nothing at first, just an illusion.  
As you were gaining on Strider, you realized it wasn’t. It may look like a shadow, but it was actually using the shady places as its cover. It was dark as one, but it seemed to have a more distinctive shape.  
You realize you’ve been concentrating on that creature too much, and not enough on Strider. Just as you wanted to spot him in the crowd, the red cloak disappears around the corner. You hurry up.

When you reached the crossing of the streets, you couldn’t find him again. Those two streets weren’t even as crowded as the others, moreover, they were empty. Not a soul could be seen.  
You scoff and decide to jump down, there’s no need to be on the roof anymore.

You had a weird feeling while walking between the buildings. It wasn’t the smell for sure, because it reeked of garbage and waste, which was normal for a street like this. The buildings looked weird. Windows closed shut, doors in a bad state, the facades falling apart. But the oddest thing about it all, was the sound. Usually there would be people talking, birds chirping, somebody fighting, construction going on. It was always loud. Especially for you who had sensitive hearing. Just, this street…

Nothing…

No sounds at all…

Where is Strider? Is he hiding? Is he in one of these buildings? Or is he in trouble?  
You walk around carefully examining your surroundings. There wasn’t really a place to hide. You doubt he would just disappear into a random house. There must be some kind of sign, clue to where he is.  
Just as you were about to yell for him, you hear someone’s footsteps. Maybe that’s him. You better hide so you don’t scare him off. He might run again if he sees you.  
You locate a building with no door, just an entrance. So you rush towards it, hide behind the wall before the person reaches you.

You’re breathing hard, all that running and frustration made you tired. But you make yourself stay quiet, even stop breathing.  
You could sense the person out there. They were in front of the building you were located. You could hear their breath, and smell their sulfuric aroma. You frown.

You sensed that smell before. And only a few times. It not only smelled like sulfur, but reeked of decomposing flesh, even of fish. It is not a person, and it sure as hell isn’t Strider. It is that creature which was hiding in the shadows.

You glanced behind the wall. Still trying not to make any sudden movements. You can’t risk it seeing you. If it senses you here, it will scream. And its scream can make the whole town die out, even a quiet one could make vibrations so intense they make people kill themselves rather than listening to it.  
It was sliding down the street, moving like a snake, leaving a trail of black mucus behind it. A rag covered its back and head, fooling people into thinking it is an old woman. It was shorten than you, half your size actually. But you weren’t fooled by its magic.  
The soothing gurgling coming from its sharp beak was the thing that made people think it is harmless. But it was a siren’s song. Making people come out of their houses to check out that beautiful sound, which was in fact a deadly one.

And it was working.

You tried to suppress the urge to go out, to stand in front of it and show yourself.  
You were sure it was looking for the prince. He was hiding somewhere near. And it wanted him, not you.  
Sweat started rolling down your forehead. Is this how you’re going to die? Killed by a horrorterror? And one that was a smaller kind?

The gurgling stops. Silence again. You could hear your heart beat, like it’s going to burst from your chest. You couldn’t keep your breath anymore. It is going to find you, it is going to kill you. It is going to scream and everyone will die. You have only one option.

You take a breath.  
Immediately something smashes the wall, right where your head was. The whole front of the building was in ruins.  
You stood up, taking your sword out, trying to recover from that jump to the ground. The creature finally drops the rag to the side, revealing its beak. But behind it, its body began to grow. Massive black tentacles started flying through the air, black ooze dripping from them, creating puddles on the street. It was like acid, burning down the few grass blades growing on the dirt road.  
You swallowed, quickly thinking what should be your next move.  
You can’t let it scream. You can’t let people die. _You_ can’t die!

You gather your courage and charge. The horrorterror swings the tentacles at you, aiming to pierce you with them. You jump, right at the perfect moment, finding yourself above its head, right over its huge beak. You swing your sword, praying to Gog you do manage to cut it in half.  
Dark purple blood starts leaking out of the large wound caused by your attack. Its mouth was getting filled with it, causing it to slowly suffocate, but more importantly, immobilizing it to produce any sounds. You land on your feet, still focusing on the dying monster. It is still alive. It is still deadly. The tentacles fly again, and you barely escape. You’re low on energy, and the fear of the creature is doing its job. You need to kill it. Fast!

The puddles of acid are growing bigger, it’s getting harder to avoid them. Your legs are feeling so heavy, your hands stop listening to you. The armor is pulling you down. You feel as if you can’t move it anymore, that all the nails and belts are too tight, that the armor is rusting.  
You land wrong. Sharp pain coming from your leg holds you down.

“Fuck!” you yell out. The tentacles are approaching you with incredible speed. You feel sick, tears start running down your cheeks. Its blood violently spurts around it. The acid is starting to reach you. You are going to die. This is how you are going to end your life. Killed by the creature from your nightmares.

Sudden flashes appear around the creature. So fast, it seems like multiple of them are jumping around the tentacles. With every flash, one of the tentacles drops to the ground. You stare at this scene, breathing heavily and trying to understand what is happening.  
Blood was everywhere, mixing with the black acid, intoxicating the ground. You want to get up, hide till it’s over, but you were unable to do that. Even trying leaning onto your sword doesn’t help. Your leg really hurts.

Eventually, all the tentacles were on the ground, slowly turning into the black acid, disappearing almost without a trace. The stain of the burned ground will stay there for a while.  
The red flash disappears into thin air, like nothing was there.

Until you hear a voice behind you.

“I told you I don’t need you.”

“Strider?!” You try to turn around but are enable. You hear footsteps approaching.

“So we’re on first name bases now?”

“My apologies, my Lord. But I am surprised to see you here.” He steps in front of you and smirks.

“I was running from that thing, and would’ve led it out of the city if it weren’t for you.”

“Me?! I ruined _your_ plan?! So it’s my fault I don’t know what you’re thinking?” you growled.

“I don’t make the rules. But you obviously break them.”

“You expect me to obey _your_ fucking rules?! You were the one who saw the horrorterros but decided to do nothing!”

“I didn’t do nothing, Sir Vantas! I did exactly what I wanted. But you kept interfering”, he frowned.

“And mind your words because I am your superior. You are the one who listens to me”, he pointed his sword at you.

“You think I’m going to obey a little shit like you?!”

“I saved your life!” he yelled. His stance changed, he stepped backward as if trying to force himself not to fall.

“I am the one who killed the…” he grabbed his head with the other hand, closed his eyes shut and clenched his teeth. You grabbed your sword and tried to use it as a staff. You groaned trying to ignore the pain.

“My Lord, are you…”, you notice a black spot on his shoulder. It was a wound, covered with the black acid. He must’ve touched one of the tentacles. It burned right through his armor.

“Vantas… Get…”, he couldn’t speak anymore. The poison was getting to him. His legs gave in to the pain and he collapsed. His breathing hard, quietly moaning as the pain grew stronger. You needed help, fast.  
You tried to stand up again but fell back down.

“Fucking ankle!!! Stronger bones than those of humans my ass!!!” you yelled out of frustration.

The streets were quiet, there was nobody around. Nobody to help you. The prince was dying. If he doesn’t get help soon he is not going to make it.  
You were on the outskirts of town, most of the people are away, working. There was little chance of somebody hearing you.  
But you can’t let him die.  
He saved you.  
He was the one you needed to protect not the other way around.  
And his death is going to be your fault.


	3. Don't get attached

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully the mistake I made last time won't happen again ^_^'  
> Anyways, had some time yesterday and today so I decided to write another part.  
> (It's gonna be fun when I get back to school and it turns out I didn't do all my work because I was writing this :P)
> 
> Anyways, sorry if some parts look funky, English is not my first language :P  
> Like last time, the designs of the characters can be found on my [tumblr](http://sintarija.tumblr.com/tagged/Dragonriderstuck)  
> I don't have a lot yet but I hope I'll make the others soon too :)

Kankri suddenly opened his eyes wide. There was something wrong. His stomach felt weird. But that feeling was different from the one when he is sick. He felt it in his legs too, they felt weak, in one moment he actually couldn’t control them how unsecure they were. This happened before, he knew what was going on.  
He jumped up, rushed out of the stables and started looking around. He was panicking. Karkat didn’t say where he was going, he just left early in the morning. Kankri hated when he did that, but it was actually his fault. He won’t say that to Karkat of course.  
He smelled the air. There was no time to lose. Karkat was afraid of only a few things. He would always boldly attack rather than run. Even when he was afraid. And that is what made Kankri worried. Sometimes it was better to run and hide than engage in combat. And usually Kankri was there to help him make that judgment. But not this time. And if he doesn’t move quickly, and if Karkat makes a wrong decision, it could cost them dearly.  
He needed to find him as fast as possible. No time to tell John about the danger Dave and Karkat could be facing, no time to call for help. Just run towards the town and try to follow his scent. Good thing there are no other trolls in town, that he knows of, who could cloud his trail.  
He ran into the streets. He growled at the citizens, he needed them out of the way. The folk started screaming, getting out of the street as he wanted. He’ll have problems about his actions later, but now is not the time to think about that. As long as the guards don’t try to stop him, it will be fine.

Because of all those people, he had problems with finding Karkat’s smell, but he did eventually find it. On an odd place too. Above him. He looked up, wondered what the troll was thinking when he decided to travel across town by jumping on the roofs. He growled from frustration. Now he’ll need to climb up too.  
There should be some stairs near here. Usually there is a small side alley from which the stairs lead to an apartment. It will be easier to climb like that than climbing on the walls. Kankri might have small legs and sharp claws which are great for climbing trees but why strain himself when there’s an easier way. And truly, he soon located the narrow alley.  
It didn’t take him long to get up on the roof. Maybe Karkat didn’t think through this plan on jumping on the rotten roofs, but it was easier for Kankri to follow his scent high up like this. Now he could move even faster. A quick evaluation on which route he should take was followed by a jump towards the other house. Soon he got the hang of moving through the city like this. And he liked it. It was much better than moving on the ground.  
The people were frightened by the dragon jumping over their heads, but a lot of them also cheered, astounded by the dragon in town.

The scent was getting stronger.  
As well as another smell, the rotten smell of sulfur. It made the dragon sick in the stomach. This was the thing that scared Karkat so much. And Kankri was familiar with it. He encountered horrorterrors before. But he was always near his rider. They always fought them together. Fighting them alone was very dangerous and they never risked it before.  
But Kankri was certain that his rider is still alive. He himself was the sole evidence he needed. As long as Karkat is alive, he is going to be too.  
But arriving on time was important. If he finds him too late, this is going to be his end as well.  
As he took another leap to the building on the other side of the street he finally noticed the huge black trace which the acid left. And next to it Karkat! But he was over another body, talking something indistinctively.

The large shadow which appeared as Kankri jumped, and his loud landing to the building next to you signaled that help has come. The feeling of worry was still there but you felt relieved because Kankri could carry you and Strider back to the castle.  
Good thing your connection with him was so strong. And that the fear you felt brought him to help.  
He jumped down in front of you, panting loudly and trying to figure out are you hurt. You could see it in his eyes that he was worried like hell for you. You smile, happy to see your dragon here.

“I’m fine Kankri. It’s not me you need to worry about”, the dragon looked at you with a confused look.

“You? You mean me! If you get killed, I get too. This is exactly why you need to tell me where you are headed. You almost got me killed!” he frowned. You rolled your eyes, you didn’t have time for his excuses.

“Fine! Now help me with getting Strider back. He needs to get his wound cleaned up. I couldn’t do it completely by myself”, you look at what has been left from your cape. The acid burned holes in it. That bastard owes you a new cape! The dragon makes a disgusted face.

“I don’t have a saddle on. And I don’t like when other trolls touch me, let alone people”, he stepped back.

“Shut the fuck up you giant lizard! You want me to lose another job?!” you pointed at him with a finger. He frowned and muttered something under his breath.  
He grabbed Dave by his cloak and gently put him on his back. You helped him adjust him on. Then you got on yourself. Kankri was obviously unhappy with two people on his back, heavy people. In armor. But he had no choice. You’re in this together, this is his job too.  
You grabbed one of the ridges on his back with one hand, and with the other you held Dave. If he falls off… You’ll be in an even bigger mess than you are right now.

“Go!” Kankri responded instantly and you were moving through the town again. Kankri chose to go over the roofs again. But the damage he made by jumping over is going to take some time to repair, and money. You hope that John will be kind enough to fund for the damages himself, not make you pay for them.

***

“What happened?!!!” John yelled as you led Kankri inside the castle. John didn’t mind that the dragon came inside, he was actually happy that the dragon was carrying Dave.

“With all due respect Sire, but I’ll explain later. We need to take care of him! Now!” One of the maids was trotting in front of you, leading you to Dave’s bedroom. John was seriously distressed, you saw him shaking violently. This was exactly what he was trying to avoid. You didn’t have time to comfort him, and you weren’t really good with words either.

“In here!” said the maid and opened the doors. In front of you there was a huge bed, actually a baldachin. The curtains were red with gold lace on the edges, in contrast to everything else in the castle which was blue. There were also chairs with red cushions, the walls were light yellow. Did John make the room like this because Dave asked? Or did he do it on his own to make him happy?

Kankri went to stand near the bed. You jumped off him trying not to strain your leg too much. If you move correctly, you should be able to get Dave off the dragon and on the bed with minimum pain. You took the prince into your hands. Even though he was heavy, you managed. You guess it was the adrenaline and worry for the prince. You carefully put him down. He was in pain, unconscious but struggling. He was clenching his teeth and moaning quietly. You look at John.

“Where is the doctor?!”

“I’ve sent one of the servants down in town to get one here as quick as possible. For now I ordered a few of my other servants to come help him. They should know the fundamentals of medicine.”  
You hope this is going to cut it. As well as John. His heavy breathing is telling you that this is a big shock to him. And he was probably feeling bad because of the fight last night.

Kankri lowered his head.  
“Should we go?” He whispered. Both of you look at John. You’re not sure how to answer that question.

“My Lord… Do you want us to leave?” You ask softly. John stayed quiet.

“Yes… Please… Leave us alone. I’ll call… I’ll call you after everything is done, Sir Vantas”, he was trembling.  
You nod to Kankri, signal him to slowly leave the room.

You close the door when you exit and turn to your dragon.  
“I should clean up…”

“How is your leg?” He saw you limping out of the room.

“It’s fine. I will need to put it in some cold water.”

“You should wait for the doctor. When he finishes up with the prince, maybe he could take a look.” He’s right. But you should ask John about it later. Somebody needs to pay the doctor and it would be great if that isn’t you.

As you sit on the floor in front of the room, you start to hear distant sobs coming from within. You guess John has been through enough today.  
If he was alone for years now, finally having someone over for some time is making him feel better. And then this happens.  
He was here, in this castle for a long time. It seems so big and lonely. Of course he was happy to have someone over. You wonder how long he knew Dave. Was it months or years? Probably years, they are both princes, they heard about each other for sure.  
He wouldn’t cry for somebody who wasn’t close to him. He wouldn’t decorate the whole room just because he was staying over for some time. He wouldn’t hire a personal guard just because he was royalty. He invited you, miles away from his kingdom. The first troll he ever saw, the first dragon he ever had in his town, he hired just for Dave.

“Do you think they’ll be fine?”

“The prince will recover, I am sure of it. The damage is minor, on his shoulder. No meaningful tissue was affected. The king will be fine too. He just isn’t used to seeing, nor experiencing things like this”, he laid his head on the ground. He wasn’t tired from running, he just wants to sleep all day. You bet how he’s thinking of this whole situation as a ‘rude interruption’ from his slumber.

The doctor was soon there. He didn’t close the door so you stood on the entrance, leaning on the frame of the door so you don’t need to put weight on your leg. Kankri was looking over your shoulder, extending his long neck while still lying on the floor.  
The maids were disturbed by the sight of a dragon in the castle, they felt uneasy passing by the large beast. But they only gave him a few nervous glances, which Kankri noticed, but decided to ignore. Still, you felt that he was happy to see that the people feared him.  
The doctor applied gauze on the prince, checked his vital signs, and nodded to John. Everything was fine. He then proceeded to tell him how to take care of Dave, what medicine he’ll need and which potions he should drink. He recommended a lot of rest, but that he’ll be on his legs in no time. That shoulder should heal but will take time. The muscles and some nerves were damaged, he might have some problems in the beginning.  
He also recommended to find a healer. Preferably a Witch or a Maid. They should be able to fix his wounds.  
John thanked the doctor and was about to lead him out but you suddenly remembered you needed to get your leg checked.

“My Lord, if it wouldn’t be much trouble, could the doctor help me out with my injury. While we were fighting the monster, I landed wrong after a jump.” John looked at you with a shocked expression.

“Yes, of course! You should have said something sooner”, he turned to the doctor and gestured with his hand towards you.

“Check what is wrong with Sir Vantas. When you’re done, I will escort you out.”

The doctor nodded and proceeded to help you out to a chair. You took of your shoe and took down your armor around your leg so he won’t have any trouble with examining your leg.  
It didn’t take long for him to finish up. It turned out you just had a badly sprained ankle. And those metal shoes only worsened the injury. So you won’t be able to move properly for a week or two. As well as the prince.  
You were given some poppy seeds which will ease the pain, and were asked to rest. John was happy to hear you’re both fine, and that you’ll shortly be back to your normal health again.

You were also finally shown to your room, after John took the doctor and Kankri out.  
You were given a nice, large room. Almost like Dave had. There was a warm bed with a lot of pillows, a fireplace with logs next to it. John probably heard you liked to stay warm. There was a writing table below the large window which led a lot of sunlight into the room. A closet was left from the bed, it had a few plain shirts and pants in it. Right of the bed was a large mirror which was a part of the drawers. You had your own bathroom, with a bathtub, a small toilet and a sink.  
A servant was assigned to you. He helped you with getting your stuff from the stables to the room, meaning he carried it all by himself since you couldn’t. He also helped you out of the armor, cleaned it up and later brought it back to your room. You took off your clothes and put on the fresh ones you got. It fit you perfectly. John really does his job of making his guests be comfortable while staying here.  
You were given a staff you could lean on while walking. You are going to look ridiculous with it. But better use it than be unable to walk for a longer time than the doctor said you would be.

***

A few weeks have passed and you were feeling better. Dave too. He was joining you for meals already. His hand was wrapped so he couldn’t move it. He only used his fingers on that hand, but rarely. You were happy he was finally immobilized. No jumping through windows, no running from you, no mischief at all. Which made your job easier, and made you happy.  
Kankri was enjoying those days off. You were visiting him a lot, kept him company since he wasn’t allowed in the castle. But you noticed that he was having some books lying around. More than he owned. Turns out John has been bringing them over from his library. Kankri sometimes started sharing his stories from history to him, but John wanted to avoid them. He wasn’t really interested in them, but he was glad the dragon was happy.  
During the time you spent with the princes, you talked about all kinds of stuff. They were mostly interested in your experiences in other kingdoms, what jobs you had, adventures you went on. And you started learning about them too.  
Turns out they were really close, best friends in fact. They’ve known each other for years, but only met in person a few times. They didn’t travel much but promised to send letters every week.  
You would hang out with them often. During meal time it was always loud. You sometimes met them in the library too. John didn’t mind lending you his books on romance. You were actually happy to have someone you could discuss it with. But Dave always said that you two should be reading something better, like adventure stories about knights.

Even though you two were feeling better, you still noticed Dave grunting from pain. His arm would go numb and he was frustrated because of it. He thought it won’t heal at all if it did that all the time. He would sit at the window in his room and stare outside, watched the town for a long time. Just how it functions, how people were moving through it, the ‘exciting’ everyday life.

“Are you alright my Lord?” You walked towards him and stood behind him, looked through the window.

Dave didn’t move.  
“I just want to go outside. It’s boring in here.”

“You should be able to get around the castle without that gauze in a few days”, you try to lighten him up. But he only frowns.

“Few days is a long time. I don’t have nothing to do, but sit here and think about…”, he sighed.

“This whole town seems so fucking peaceful. They don’t even know what happened.”

“Do you think they should?” He took some time to respond. He was probably thinking about what answer he should give you, but he seemed distant. His boredom wasn’t the only thing bothering him.

“It’s so monotone. No excitement, no worries about tomorrow. Everybody knows what will happen. Every day the same thing. If something different happens they wouldn’t know what to do. It would ruin them... Ruin us…”

“Why us, Sire?”

“If the kingdom falls, the king falls with it.” He laughed, more of a scoff than a laugh. You were puzzled with his behavior. He was usually the one who was making fun of everything, joked around with John, telling him he does everything wrong and should do it his way. And he would say that to you too.

You sigh and put a hand on his shoulder, the one that wasn’t hurt.  
“No such thing will happen. You shouldn’t worry about things like that.”

“We got so much fucking time on our hands. What should I do? Read Shakespeare? To be or not to be. Better not to be! Especially in this fucking prison! It would be better if there were actual criminals here. They would keep me on my feet. But the guys here only do as I say. They’ll jump out of the window if I say! And if I don’t get out soon, I’ll start ordering them to do stupid stuff like that”, he started walking around the room, waving his healthy hand through the air out of frustration. Even though you think he’s still having some problems about his injury, mainly coping with it, he’ll make it. You decide to leave the room. He probably wants to get back to his sulking.

 

Dinner was soon ready. John’s hunters caught a boar in the forest, and Kankri has already eaten a few days ago, so they prepared it with some potatoes, cooked vegetables and sauces. You weren’t so crazy about the vegetables but John made clear that he wants Dave to eat them. He’s still weak and this is what will get him back on his feet. Dave would complain about that at every meal. Saying that he is his own man, he’s fine, and that John shouldn’t treat him like a 4-year old. It was so weird how they both bickered like that. No, not weird, funny. Mostly annoying. Because they were both 19, John older half a year.

After you ate the main course, the maids came in, took the platters away, and brought in some dessert. A fruit cake, and it looked really good. This would happen every few days, John would order cake for dinner. You don’t know why he was so enthusiastic about it. There was nothing special about it. Yes, it was good, but does it deserve so much excitement?  
The maids brought in the small plates with the dessert on them. You thanked the girl when she gave you yours. John waved his hand, signaled the maid to come to him. He proceeded to whisper something to her. She smiled and bowed, going back to the kitchen.

You took the little spoon and took a little piece of it. But when you put it in your mouth it had an awful taste. It burned in your mouth, made you choke. You spit it out, started coughing. Dave too, almost simultaneously. As he was coughing he looked at John who was chuckling and laughing at his seat.

“John! *cough* I am going to kill you!”

“It’s just a harmful prank, Dave.” Dave talking and coughing at the same time was making him laugh even harder.

“Salt instead of sugar. John, that is low even for you.”

“You are fucking 19, grow up! Do you want your only knight to die because you wanted to make a joke?!” you yelled.

“To die…?”John looked at you confused, he actually looked worried. But then he started laughing again.

“That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard! I killed my only knight with some cake! If you do die like this, Sir Vantas, I’ll personally write that on your grave!”  
Dave started laughing now too. And even though you wanted to pretend you’re insulted, you couldn’t. You joined them in laughing. You were interrupted by a maid coming in the dining room, two plates in her hand.

“Of course, a harmless joke means that I still owe you some cake”, he said and smiled. The maid brought in the dessert, this time a normal one, with sugar.  
As she went out she stopped by John, took a letter out of her pocket and handed it to John. He looked at her, asking her from whom it was but she didn’t know.  
When he took the letter in his hand he noticed the royal seal on it. He knew now who sent it, his eyes widened, he gasped as he ripped the envelope. You saw the color of the wax. Most aristocrats use red, but this one was light blue. You couldn’t see the seal on it, you were too far away.  
As John was reading the letter a smile started to appear on his face.

“John, who’s it from?” Dave tried to recognize the seal.

“It’s… It’s from my sister. She wants me to visit her. And she invites you too, Dave. She wants everyone there. For my birthday, and afterwards for my coronation.”

“When?”

“As soon as possible”, he put the letter on the table. He paused, started thinking about something.

“Sir Vantas, you’ll be coming with us. I’ll need you to look over us during our stay there”, you nodded. It was normal for you to travel with royalty, providing protection. But that wouldn’t happen so often. They would usually take another troll and dragon, somebody who could fly and provide protection from the air. This is why you were excited about the trip. And because it was better than wasting time in this castle. Your leg was almost healed, it still hurt a bit but you could walk normally. You tried practicing fencing this last couple of days. It wouldn’t hurt when you moved, because you weren’t concentrating on your leg. But afterwards it would. You would sit next to Kankri, lean back on his body, and put your leg into some cold water.

“How long are we going to stay there?” you asked. You need to know which things you should bring with you.

“A month. At least. So pack everything you need. If you are missing something, just let me know. I will be the one that will take care of the food. So you do not need to worry about that.”

“Where does Jane even live? I haven’t heard from her in some time”, Dave looked at John.

“She has probably been busy. I haven’t heard from her either. Her kingdom is the neighboring one, but the territory is big, much bigger than mine. It’ll take us a few days to reach her.”

“Are you sure this is a good idea? We have been attacked just a few weeks ago. we could be attacked again. And if we expose ourselves in the dark…” This made John think. You could see how he was looking at the letter. He was really missing his sister. He wanted to go, but Dave had a point. It was dangerous.

“Sire, it certainly is dangerous. But if you hire enough guards from the castle, the threat would be smaller. More guards means that it is harder for the enemy to attack the caravan. And they might get intimidated by the number”, you proposed. John smiled.

“That is true. And the castle does not need much protection so I could take most of the guards with us… Very well, tomorrow morning we are starting our journey”, he said and stood up.

“Now, please excuse me”, he left the room. He probably wanted to read the letter again, on his own.

 

The next day came too soon. You were up late the night before, preparing your stuff. You didn’t have a lot but there were some things that needed to be done. First you needed to pack all your clothes, which didn’t take you too long. Then you started packing smaller things that you needed or always carry with you in case you need it.  
Like romance books.  
Then you needed to wash yourself, as well as your armor. It has been in a bit of a rough state for too long. You gave it a good scrub, removed all the traces of mud, filth or blood from the dents. You rarely paid attention to those parts of the armor, so after a while you started cursing how stupid you were for not cleaning it up before. Next you needed to clean up Kankri. He needed some help when he bathed. You would take a rag and start scrubbing his scales till they shined under the light. But Kankri was nagging you about how you’re doing it wrong, even though you did it a thousand times already. You almost gave up but he made you continue. You don’t know how he did that. You were probably too tired to think.

When you got back to your room , you collapsed on your bed and instantly fell asleep. You were woken up by a maid. It seemed like you just fell asleep minutes ago. She was knocking frantically on your door, telling you that you overslept. In the beginning you didn’t bother, forgetting that you are awaited in front of the castle. So she came in, started gently rocking you so you would wake up.  
You immediately rose up, took her hand and looked at her. Your grip was strong, it was hurting her. You acted out of reflex, you didn’t think about what you were doing. She looked at you scared. So you blinked a couple of times and let go of her hand.

“I apologize… I did not mean to...”

“Sire, you will be late if you do not hurry”, she opened up the curtains. The sunlight blinded you but you didn’t want to think about it much. You jumped up, started dressing. The maid turned her back to you, went to the chair to grab your armor. She brought it to you but she was too weak to help you get it on. So you called in one of the boy servants. He tightened the belts and bolts, made sure you were comfortable but the armor was still tight. You thanked him and rushed out.

John and Dave were already on their horses. Dave in his armor, John in his usual style but with a chest piece. Better have something on than nothing. When you exited the castle they stopped talking and greeted you. You slightly bowed, greeted them too and proceeded to get to Kankri who was standing behind the horses. He was already scaring them and Dave and John were troubling to keep them calm. Dave’s horse was a bit calmer, and you were surprised to see it was Lil’ Cal. He was thinner than John’s horse, but he had no troubles of carrying Dave and some of his stuff. Around you were a dozen guards, four had horses, the others were walking. There were a few carriages, probably filled with food and blankets as well as the things princes couldn’t carry on their horses. Weapons too.  
Somebody put the saddle on Kanrki. He gave you a dissatisfied look. Someone other than you touched him. Oh the tragedy. You hope he survives.

You checked if you had everything. All the bags were there, as well as your blankets and sleeping bags. You climbed into the saddle, took the reins in your hand.  
“Ready Sir Vantas?” John asked you, turning around to look at you.

“Yes, we can set off”, you nodded.

John turned forwards, looked at the guards and the equipment. When he made sure everything was ready he yelled out: “okay, move out!”

The caravan started moving, two guards in the front on their horses, then John and Dave, you behind them, the rest of the guards with the carriages after you, and then two more guards on horses at the end.  
“You are late”, Kankri growled. He was irritated by the fact you decided to neglect him in the morning.

“Oh Wow! Somebody else helped you get my stuff on you. Somebody else touched you! Oh Gog please forgive me for my disregard of my only and my dearest dragon! How could I ever let this happen?!”  
Kankri scoffed. You sensed his muscles getting tense. You smirked and rolled your eyes remembering what happened last time.

“I am sorry. I will try to not let it happen again”, you patted him on his back.

“I hope so.” You sighed. If his attitude stays like this, and it will, it is going to be a long journey.  
And it is going to be even more fun when he starts talking about history.  
John will be so happy.


	4. Remember your place

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took me more time to finish this one.  
> No more snow days, school is running again, and I had too much stress for this one week.  
> Some more stress to follow. Stay tuned as I continue procrastinating on everything and decide to take long naps.
> 
> I've worked on some designs but they're still only sketches. I'll have a lot to do when I finally start drawing them in digital.  
> For now the only posted artwork of mine for this fic can be found [here](http://sintarija.tumblr.com/tagged/Dragonriderstuck)
> 
> Hope you like the new chapter ^_^  
> Again, if something looks wonky, comment, and/or correct me :)

You were traveling slowly. Kankri was chattering with John. You think that he was annoyed by the dragon, but he still listened to him. Even told him some things the dragon didn’t know, explained some things in detail, proposed his own theories. Dave was bored, he tried to find something to do. John suggested reading but he didn’t want to do that. So he was talking to you most of the time, when you didn’t read or sleep during the journey. He wasn’t as obnoxious as you first thought.  
You didn’t have problems on the trip. There were no horrorterrors, no assassins, no threats at all. Which was stress relieving. You could relax. But Kankri would complain about your dozing off. He would say that you are not doing your job, you’re putting everybody in danger. He was right, you shouldn’t sleep on the job, but riding was tiring. And even though the saddle was comfortable, during long journeys you would get back pains.  
When the end of the day was closing in, the guards would search for a campsite. Usually it was a clearing in the forest. While John and Dave sat on the chairs that were taken out of the carriages, you helped out with putting up the camp. You were always on duty for finding logs for a fire. When you found enough, you would put them on a pile, tell everyone to stay back, and then Kankri would light up the fire. That was the only job he needed to do, so he would move close to the flame and fall asleep when he was done. Every once in a while, when the fire went out or was near its end, he would lit it up again. The guards would put up the tents, prepare them by putting sleeping bags and pillows inside. Dave and John had larger tents, with small chairs and tables inside. Dinner was cooked for them and served on plates. You, on the other hand, were eating with the guards. You didn’t mind. Why bother with utensils. You would need to clean them up later, and it isn’t practical eating like that when you have a plate on your knees.  
This was the only time when you weren’t in the company of the princes. And it was weird. You knew it shouldn’t be, but you came to like them. Even though there were times they were annoying. You started to get used to being with them, eating with them, feeling like you were royalty too. You were worried about that, that you’ll get too close to them, start being unprofessional. Kankri noticed how you started acting different, too. He warned you a few times already not to get used to this. You felt irritated by the fact he was figuring out what was going on so easily. Some things you have troubles with, you want to take care of alone. His constant nagging isn't making you feel better. 

***

“My Lord, the castle!” one of the guards exclaimed, pointing his finger towards the mountains.  
Beneath the mountains, on one of the higher hills before them, was a huge castle. Its many towers reaching to the sky. It seemed like the whole castle was made only out of them. They were filled with vines, plants growing around the walls, there were flowers on every window. The building was decorated with spirals and curves, making it look elegant. It was definitely more pleasant to the eye than John’s castle. The roofs were made of red brick, while the stone, from which most walls were built, was creamy white. Some of the details were gilded, like minor statues or window frames. You doubt all of that was gold, that just isn’t possible. But John said his kingdom was rich with materials. Although he didn’t say which, gold could be one of them. And those mountains that were now in front of you were also of the same origin.  
Near the castle, left from it, was a canyon. Above it there was a strong, wooden bridge.  
Down the hill on which the castle stood, there was a large town. Bigger than the one next to Johns castle. The only thing visible from the town now, were the smokes coming from the chimneys. And there were a lot of them.  
John gasped. If you understood him correctly, and his isolation, this is the first time he sees his sister’s castle.

“Wow, Jane really loves to live in style”, Dave said raising his eyebrows.

“Are we going to reach her before the sundown, Sire?” You asked John who was still admiring the place where she lived. He looked at the path that led to the bridge. It wasn’t a difficult climb, but the way it was build… Going from left to right of the hill, only slowly ascending. It is going to take you some time till you reach the top if you travel like you do now. The day was nearing its end, and you haven’t even reached the mountains yet.

“We are going to travel during night if we have to. We are close to the castle, waiting one more day would be a waste of time”, John ordered. He was really impatient.

Maybe that wasn’t the best decision, but there wasn’t a great risk this close to the castle. The guards from the town and the castle could come quickly if you were in danger, and could see easily, or hear, if you get attacked.  
Well, the only real reason you didn’t want to travel these few more miles is because you were tired. And Kankri was too.

You were interrupted by a loud sound. It was so high pitched, like a croak but worse. The intensity and frequency started hurting the humans, and you and Kankri started yelling from agony. You tried blocking the sound with your hands but it didn’t help, no matter how hard you pressed your hands against your ears it still hurt.  
After what seemed a minute, but was only a few seconds, you heard wings flapping above you. But not of birds, no. These were wings of something much bigger. You looked up to finally spot the creature that was making the noise. A dragon, belonging to a purple-blooded troll. His body covered with bones. You couldn’t see if they were his own, growing from his body, or they were taken from its victims and attached to his back. On the end of its tail there was a flipper, again, bones on the outside giving it structure. The dragon wasn’t small but its wingspan was so great, it would be enough for a dragon twice its size. On its head there was a dragon’s skull. You weren’t sure how it hold onto the head, and how it got over its huge horns. Wrapping around its legs were chains which was unusual since dragons usually didn’t have any accessories on them. Except the necklaces with their representing gems around their necks. This one’s was purple, sugalite you presume.  
It was quickly approaching and you didn’t know how to react. You couldn’t see its rider, didn’t know if it meant harm or was coming from the castle. But dragons from the upper blood classes were a problem. They were much bigger than Kankri. You don’t know if you could fight them off, and even if you could, it would not be easy.  
You heard your dragon growl. He was crouching down, getting ready for a possible attack. But the unknown dragon gently landed in front of you, causing a strong wind that made you cover your eyes with your hand so dust wouldn’t blind you. John was obviously distressed, as well as all the horses. Only Dave was keeping his calm, feeling the hilt of the sword in is hand.  
The dragon rider finally showed himself, jumping of the dragon and walking towards you. He was taller than you, and you weren’t even counting in his horns. His armor, like his dragon, had bones over it, sharp blades on the side of his arms and behind his legs. He was strange, felt too relaxed for your opinion. He raised one of his eyebrows when he looked at John, who was anxiously watching him move closer.

“Prince John II. of the Egbert bloodline? And the Prince of Time, Dave II. of the Strider bloodline, I presume”, he spoke with a deep voice.

“Yes, the Queen of Life should be expecting us”, John replied.

“She is. Where were you brother? You were supposed to be here hours ago!” he turned around and climbed his dragon again.

“Brother?” John looked at him surprised. He wasn’t angry at the troll, just confused.

“We’re late? But she should know the trip takes long”, he tried to explain but the rider didn’t mean to answer.

“Look, take the Prince and the angry-looking motherfucker and follow me. I’ll be your escort to the castle”, he bowed.  
You growled at the name he used for you. It was clearly meant for you since he looked at you at that moment and just slightly smirked. Your hands were clenching on the reins as you tried to sustain yourself from any comments.

“What about the cargo?” John asked and looked behind him, showing the troll the carriages.

“It’s alright. They’ll be able to reach the castle before sundown”, he returned to his dragon and climbed on him again. He waved his hand to signal John to start their travel again.  
The dragon jumped into the air, created a strong wind and raised the dust again. He was fast, flying above you and heading towards the castle. John and Dave taped their horses with their heels and started running. They raised themselves up on the horse, and bowed down because of the speed and because it was easier like that. You patted Kankri on the neck.

“Let’s go!” you ordered and the dragon started running. His body motions fluid, his back moving up and down like a wave. You were in the same position as John and Dave were on their horses.

***

Kankri quickly caught up with the princes, slowing his pace and adapting it to match the speed of the horses. He was much faster than them when running, and this wasn’t a big strain for him. The dragon and his rider were flying above you. They were quicker, but seemed as though they only glided gently and effortlessly through the air. The dragon was quiet now, and you were glad it was. You never want to hear that thing shriek again.  
You needed to take a few minor stops because the horses got tired. After all, they were traveling for a long time, carrying two grown men on their backs, and then running to the top of a steep hill. The troll which kept an eye on you from the air would not land if you stopped, he would stay on his dragon, floating in the air and watching your group closely. Kankri was getting tired too. Your water container was slowly getting empty. You did, however, run into a creek that was flowing over the road. There wasn’t a huge amount of water but by the side of the road there was a manmade small bowl that filled up with water.

Kankri was muttering something to himself while he was running. He didn’t like to run when ordered to. His breathing was heavy, you felt the deep breaths he took because of his gently rising chest. But you knew he was strong enough to overcome his exhaustion. You were also pretty sure he wasn’t even feeling that bad, he only wanted you to say something so he could stop and take a break. You won’t give into his acting that easily. You’ll be stopping when the princes are.  
After two hours you have finally reached the bridge. The construction was made out of a combination of strong wood and stone, bonded together with ropes, nails, and a type of cement. It was long, about 200 meters across the large canyon, which was carved by a small river over millions of years. The river was still there, a hundred meters below, cascading down towards the village which was now clearly visible. It was covered by a layer of thin mist, bathed in the rays of sunshine. It seemed so peaceful, but you couldn’t know since it was a few miles away, and the roaring sound of water racing below was clouding the sounds from the city.  
You weren’t too happy about crossing that bridge. It looked too small for two horses and a dragon. And the other side seemed to be so far away. While John and Dave have already crossed half the bridge, you were still pulling the reins on Kankri and making him stay on place.

“Eventually we will need to pass it”, he turned his head half way, just enough so he could barely see your face. You tried to hide your fear with frowning at him.

“You understand I can feel what you feel?”

“Of course you moron! I didn’t hatch yesterday!” your face became red. Partly because you were angry at him for making fun of you, partly because you were embarrassed.  
Kankri rolled his eyes and stepped forward. You grabbed the reins tighter, pushed your legs into your dragon’s sides. Walking across the bridge was terrifying, especially high up on Kankri like this. You could see everything around you. Fuck! You are so high up! The dragon was moving slowly, his steps secure. He wanted you to feel safe.

“It is highly unusual of you to be afraid of heights.”

“I am not afraid you fucking imbecile!”

“Every troll is able to fly on their dragon. What if I had wings?”

“Well you don’t! So there is no problem!”, you said harshly, raising your voice. Kankri scoffed, maybe you did offend him by telling him he doesn’t have wings. He was sensitive about it. Mostly feeling insecure. Abnormal. Worthless compared to other dragons. A part of you wanted to apologize, but then you remembered that he would probably answer back with how he was right and you were wrong. And that always made you sick. So you decided to stay quiet.

John and Dave looked at you two confused, at Kankri who was frowning and you who was so tight on the dragon that you couldn’t move.  
“Wait, Vantas, you’re afraid of heights?” Dave chuckled.

“I am not fucking afraid of heights! Can we move on and stop being distracted by stupid, unrelated things?”

“Very well, we have a few minutes more till we reach the castle. I propose we don’t strain our horses anymore and travel slower”, John said and pulled the reins of his horse to make it face the road in the right direction. Dave smirked and did the same.  
When Kankri finally reached the other edge, you eased up. You heard him laugh under his breath. You didn’t want to bring this subject up again so you just started focusing on the two princes in front of you.

***

After coming out of the forest, you arrived on a spacious meadow. The grass was vividly green, but no other plants were planted here, except many clusters of small daisies. Only scarlet roses were growing around the castle, reaching to some of the higher windows too. Where roses didn’t grow, ivy did, covering most of the castle’s walls and towers. The whole castle seemed full of life, you could feel the natural energy surrounding the building. Combined with the scent of flowers, it created a calming atmosphere. Birds were singing, and bees were slowly leaving the meadow to get back to their hive which was probably nearby.  
The purple-blooded dragon landed elegantly next to the castle. He showed of his huge wings and gently landed on all four of his legs. The troll jumped off, accompanied you again. He bowed slightly, putting one of his arms behind his back and the other on his stomach. John and Dave stepped off their horses, and you did off Kankri. They pulled the horses by the reins and started following the troll to the entrance. As you were closing up on the castle, you noticed the emblem of life above the wooden door. It certainly was the finishing touch to the building’s design.  
The door slowly opened, revealing four guards. Two of them bowed and offered to take the horses to the stable. Then they reached you. They wanted to show Kankri how to get to the dragon lairs up the mountain, but then realized he can’t fly. They were confused with what to do. Kankri then proposed staying here, on the meadow, till they figure something out. The guards nodded, decided to bring him some water after they took care of the horses.

As John and Dave were monitoring where the guards were taking the horses, you heard someone approaching from inside of the castle, and they were wearing heals.  
“John?”, a woman’s gentle voice came from the entrance.

A plump, short woman with dark, short and messy hair was glaring at John with her eyes wide open. She wore bright red, oval glasses that covered most of her face. On her feet she wore red shoes, matching her glasses. Her dress was short, reaching to her knees, in a light blue color. Around her head, attached to the dress, was a white partlet. The upper part of the dress was the corset which was tightly wrapped around her torso. Even though not skinny, the corset didn’t bring out her stomach, but accented her chest. She knew what suited her.  
John looked at her, but only reacted in silence. He opened his mouth and couldn’t say a word. She walked towards him, bowed then looked at him again.

“I am so glad to see you, little brother. Though, not as little anymore”, she chuckled with her melodious voice.  
She spread her arms, hugged him tightly, pressed her head on his chest. John hugged her back, his eyes tearing up. She noticed something was wrong with him, his hands were shaking. She released him, took his hands.

“John, what’s wrong? Don’t cry, we have only met a minute ago.”

“I just… I missed you”, he said, warm tears rushing down his cheeks.

“Oh…”, she smiled, put her delicate hand on his cheek and wiped of one of the tears with her thumb.

“Why don’t you all come inside? Your journey was very long. And I would love to catch up with you two”, she turned to Dave, and walked up to him. She bowed, and he returned the gesture.

“The Prince of Time, I am honored to have you as a guest in my humble castle”, she smiled.

“My lady, your castle is all but modest”, he smiled. At first she seemed stunned at how Dave spoke to her, thought for a second that it was an insult, but then softened up realizing he was actually complimenting her home.

“It perfectly reflect your stunning beauty”, you weren’t sure if that was a legitimate compliment or was he making that up. Because that sounded like some hard-ass bullshit.

“I have not seen you in quite some time. I remember you when we were little children, our parents dragging us around to boring parties, and then we would all meet up. John and me, with your brother and you. We would cause quite a commotion.”

“But we also weren’t the only ones.”

“Oh yes! The Harleys and Lalondes! Oh, how I miss them! I do hope they will come soon."

“Come on in gentleman! Sir Makara will show you the way toward the dining room. Everything is ready for your arrival. After we have eaten, I will be showing you your rooms. I hope your things arrive tonight before nightfall”, the troll bowed to the queen. You approached the princes and that is when Jane finally acknowledged you.

“Oh! A knight! I am honored to meet you”, you bowed.

“It is my pleasure to meet you, my lady.”

“I believe you are protecting my brother then?” You opened your mouth to correct her, but Dave was faster.

“Nah, he’s my guard. But John did hire him”, he explained.

“Oh, but where is John’s knight?” she asked Dave. John as still trying to come down, but still needed to wipe off the last of his tears with a small blue napkin he carried around.

“He said he doesn’t need one.”

“Nonsense! The horrorterrors are a big threat and could attach you anytime! You should always have somebody by your side just in case”, she gave John a sharp look. His face turned red and he coughed.

“Well, yes. There was never a reason for having one.”

“Again I need to do all the work about keeping you safe. You are getting a knight as soon as possible!”

“Jane, i don’t need one. Really, I never had problems with assassins.”

“I bet it is because you never left your damned castle!” He didn’t respond, he just turned around towards the other troll. Jane rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips.

“So many years apart from each other and you didn’t change a bit. Come on now, let us have some lunch”, she nodded to Makara and he started leading you all inside.

Not only was the castle full of plants outside, but also inside. And every pot was filled with flowers, every vase had a special flower arrangement. You swore you heard birds in some of the bushes. On the walls there were a lot of pictures, mainly landscapes and animals but there were also family portraits. Mostly with John and Jane, but some of them obviously with their parents. You saw John gulp when every time he saw the raven-haired woman on the drawings.  
As you walked to the castle, Jane joined John in front, they started talking about various things, sometimes including Dave in their stories. He would laugh with them, but mostly left them in piece.

“Wow, I swear John sometimes gets too emotional”, Dave raised his eyebrow and looked at the prince in front of him.

“But Jane looks pretty good. I haven’t seen her in a while.”

“She does look nice”, you confirmed.

“So you like her?”

“Yes, she seems like an elegant woman”, he scoffed.

“Vantas, do I hear some lust in your voice?” You jumped immediately, blood rushing towards your cheeks. You faced Dave who was still walking carelessly down the hallway.

“I swear to Gog, Strider, I have no idea where you find these brainless assumptions, and how do you even get an idea to put them into words! I do not believe a person like you even has their own kingdom! Because how stupid can you be…” you suddenly stop. John and Jane have turned and were staring at you. As well as some maids passing by. Your face became even more red even though that seemed impossible. You didn’t know how to explain this situation. You coughed and straightened up.

“I apologize. I did not mean to raise my voice. I hope I haven’t disturbed you”, although you knew you did. They didn’t say anything but Jane needed to order the maids to get back to work, since they were shocked and forgot what they were doing.

“So, you don’t think she’s hot?”

“No, she is hot. What makes you…”

“So, you think she’s hot. You do know you’re talking about john’s sister. I’d be careful about what I intent to do, if I were you”

“I think your face turned to an ass because there’s nothing but shit coming out of your mouth! And it’s not like you’re so innocent yourself, my Lord. It reflect your stunning beauty? You compared her to a building!”

“Oh! You got me, Vantas. You hurt my feeling so much that I am going to cry myself to death. And as I reach my final moments, I shall call you to my death bed and whisper to you that that was literally - a killer response, and will see you in court to punish you for my murder”

You looked at him confused.  
“That has zero sense!”

“I agree. Most simple minded creatures don’t understand the awesome intelligence that is I.”  
This guy is just waiting to provoke you. How can you work in conditions like these? Isn’t there a law that speaks against abuse? Because this is clearly psychological abuse, they are making you lose your mind. You are pretty sure that is a serious condition.

You entered the large dining room. A long table was stretched out across the room, around it gilded chairs with green cushions. The utensils were golden too, in contrast to the few chandlers which were silver. The walls were filled with windows to that extent that it actually looked as if the walls were made out of glass. The room was filled with flower patterns and green spirals on creamy backgrounds. Even outside, through the blurred glass, you could see that the garden in the back of the castle was filled with exotic plants. You recognized some of the palms and vines growing near the windows.  
There was already someone in the room, another troll. He was standing next to the entrance. His armor wasn’t covering most of his body like yours did, he only had the chest piece and some plates on the arms and legs. He was tall, and large. You could see the outlines of his muscles on the tight fabric around his arms. He wore glasses, which had broken lenses. His horns were, like Makara’s, long and sharp, with the tips of them in the shape of an arrow head. But he only had one horn, the other one was broken in half. It must’ve hurt, troll horns can be really sensitive.

When he noticed the queen, he immediately bowed. Even looking distressed for not noticing her sooner.  
“My lady, I apologize for not seeing you.”

“It is fine Equius, I told you that multiple times”, you could see how she rolled her eyes but the troll haven’t noticed it. Or maybe he just chose to ignore it.

“It is because I always fail you, Madam. You need to keep correcting me before I get it right.”

“There was nothing wrong!” she raised her voice slightly of annoyance.

“Never mind, we have guests. Sir Equius Zahhak, these are the two princes. The Prince of Breath, my brother, John II. And the Prince of Time, Dave II.”

“It is an honor to meet you!” You could see some sweat breaking out from his forehead. Added to the weirdness of him.

“And this is Sir Vantas, the knight of Prince Dave”, he looked at you and frowned. You could see that there was disgust in his eyes where he realized your blood color. Your bright, red eyes were hard to miss. Still, you nodded your head slightly out of respect.

“I believe the princes would like to eat. I propose we sit down”, he didn’t even greet you! Fucking highbloods! This is what you are talking about! This retarded and obnoxious behavior to someone like you. You bet you could take him out if you wanted to. You bet he’s maybe strong but he’s as slow as his brain. You will fucking fight him if this continues.  
The lunch went without incidents. The Zahhak guy didn’t pay much attention to you, he was mostly idolizing and enjoying the presence of other royals. What an ass-kisser. The other troll, named Gamzee as you soon found out, was irritating. He was too laid back, his voice slow, and his mind somewhere wandering in the flower field or something. But he treated you nicely. Turns out that initial ‘insult’ meant for you, is not really an insult, just the way he talks. He referred to the princes a ‘brothers’ and ‘motherfuckers’ multiple times. Which was weird to them.

***

After lunch, she guided you around the castle. She showed you your rooms, as well as the massive library filled with books, the dancing hall which was mostly empty with large windows and some mirrors, the throne which was somewhere near the entrance of the castle. She showed you to the stables behind the castle, a bit into the woods. There was a separate meadow there where horses could have their peace.  
She remembered that Kankri had a problem about reaching the dragon lairs high up the mountain, so she allowed him to sleep in the hothouse. Even though it was stuffy, it was warm at night so he didn’t need to create a fire for heat. The place was a bit narrow, but he fit in there. It was nice, close to the castle, and peaceful. He was allowed to hunt by himself in the forest, but will also be brought a meal each day. Most likely a sheep or two, sometimes some larger forest animals.  
Next to the hothouse there were small boxes from which a familiar sound of buzzing was coming. The queen had her bee hives and produced her own honey, she would collect it by herself, said she enjoyed it. She also mentioned she made gingerbread cookies out of it.  
As sun as slowly setting, your caravan finally arrived. The carriages were emptied out, you helped getting the stuff into the rooms. The guards were escorted to their rooms, smaller ones somewhere in the far ends of the castle. Horses were fed and led to the stables. Everything has been taken care of.  
Dinner was ready not long after. Night already fell, stars appeared in the sky. The chandeliers were lit up, as well as the torches around the room. It was a nice atmosphere. You were talking, having fun with the newly met people. John and Jane talked hours about their adventures as little kids, and Dave would fill up the blanks. Other kings and queens were mentioned, dances were described, tricks and pranks explained. The conversation carried into the night.

“My Lady, there are guests at the door”, a maid interrupted you some time late in the evening. It was almost midnight.

“Who would visit you so late at night?” John looked at Jane worriedly. He didn’t want her to open the door and run into somebody who could hurt her.

“John, your birthday and coronation are up soon. That’s the reason I invited you here. It would be dull if only the three of us celebrated it”, she chuckled and stood up.

“But who did you invite?” Jane walked up to the door, ready to leave.

“Some old friends. They’re excited to see you again”, she laughed and exited the room


	5. Don't get close

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah yes, submission on Valentines. :3  
> Hope you like this new chapter! It's a bit longer than the others. 
> 
> Character designs can be found [here](http://sintarija.tumblr.com/tagged/Dragonriderstuck)  
> For now only 5 of them, but hopefully I'll be making some more soon :)
> 
> As for the square brackets in the text, it's an author's note. And I'm sorry, I saw the opportunity and took it. :T
> 
> If there's a part that seems off, correct me in the coments~ ^_^

As Jane rushed to get to the entrance, you were left alone with the two princes. You looked at each other in confusion. You had no idea who is coming, probably one of the other kings or queens. You saw John play with his hands, turning around impatiently. Dave was just sitting there, playing with a knife. He was turning it around on the table, trying to pin it in the wooden table. He looked bored, but you saw him biting his lips, rubbing his fingers against one another. He was nervous, but tried to protect his image of a ‘cool’ guy.  
Jane was out for some time. The castle was big, but not that big. Maybe the guests had knights. And knights meant dragons. Which need to be fed and brought to their stable. Lair… Thing… Whatever it’s called.

“Where’s your sister? It’s been half an hour”, Dave started throwing the knife in the air.

“Stop that!” John raised his voice and Dave got startled. The knife fell on the floor somewhere behind him.

“Jesus, John! Don’t do that!”

“You’re the one who was playing with a knife!”

“Well you’re the one who startled me!”

“And both of you annoy me!” you rolled your eyes and put your head in your hands which were leaned on the table.

“Oh wow! What a burn, Vantas. You’re going to make me cry. John, why did you get me such an insensitive guard?”

You scoffed, looked at him and saw him form a smirk on the corner of his lips. He then looked at John, took his knife and poked him with it.  
“You didn’t answer my question.”

John sighed.  
“I don’t… Hey! Look over there!” he pointed with his fingers towards the window behind Dave. Dave immediately turned, raising his eyebrows in confusion.

“I don’t see anything”, as he was trying to decipher what was John pointing at, the other prince smiled, moved his hand only slightly, and hit Dave with a strong flow of air. It lasted only a couple of seconds, but made Dave turn around, his hair out of place, and his sunglasses holding on to only one ear. A wide smile appeared over John’s face as he tried to play innocent. Dave quickly adjusted his glasses.

“Oh wow, it seems that there’s an open window nearby. Guess the night breeze got in.”

“Breeze my ass! Don’t fuck around with me, John! I know that was you!”

“Me? Dave, that’s a serious accusation”, John gasped, tried to look insulted.

“Fine! If you want to play games…” Dave disappeared from his seat. John didn’t have the time to turn around before the prince was over him. He was holding a jug of water in his hands, and in the moment after, John was soaking wet from that water.

“I will get you for this!” he stood up and you decided to end this nonsense. You grabbed Strider by his cloak and made him turn around.

“Sit down!”

“You forget who’s in charge here, Vantas.”

“I can fucking leave if I want to! I don’t need to watch over your sorry ass!”

“How could you watch me, when you can’t even see me?”

“What the fuck does that even mean, you nooksu…”, you didn’t get the chance to finish your question though. Dave was already gone from your hands, vanished. But the tugging of your cape made you realize where he was. You didn’t have time to yell, to protest at all. The cape was already over your head, under your arms, and tied up in the back.

“Strider I will fucking kill you!” your muffled screams roared through the room. Of course, nobody cared. John was too busy trying to catch Dave by creating more wind, and Dave was jumping around, avoiding the bursts of air. You tried to get the cape off, tried to untie it, unhook it from where it was attached to the armor. But no luck.

“What is going on in here?” Jane’s voice startled you all. John and Dave stopped mid-fight, and you paused while holding the cape with your arms in the air. The two princes coughed, apologized, and John created a sudden air flow around himself to dry off. Of course, they forgot about you.

“Janey, you didn’t tell me you have guests! And some handsome ones”, the girl standing next to Jane, in a short dress of a pink scheme of colors, spoke up.

“Sister, if you do not realize, those are Jane’s brother and our cousin”, another girl said, she stood on the other side of Jane, wearing a dark, gothic-styled dress. She smiled but her expression seemed strict, mysterious, and even arrogant. Her sister laughed, looked at the princes a little bit better, then screamed.

“John!!! Dave!!! Oh my God! We haven’t seen each other in ages!”, she ran towards John, who was standing in total shock. When the girl hugged him, his face became red and he put his arms around her in a nervous and clumsy way. She then rushed towards Dave and jumped on him.

“Little cousin!”

“Roxy!” he yelled putting his hands in front of him to protect himself. But to no effect. Cause she pushed him with such a force, he landed on his back.

“Roxy… I can’t… Breathe…”, he struggled as her body was still pressed on his chest.

“Oh! Ups!”

As Roxy was getting up, the other lady looked at you and chuckled.  
“Is that your troll, John?”

“He’s looking over Dave, but he’s working for me.”

“I think he needs some help”, she put her hand over her mouth and smiled as you were still trying to get out.

“I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself!” you said while trying to get out faster. But Dave tied the knot really tight, there was no way of getting out without someone’s help. Although it would hurt your ego if you do ask for it. So you just decided to embarrass yourself more by falling on the ground and growling.

“Oh my…” Jane looked at you. The lady standing next to her turned around, faced one of the trolls staying behind her.

“Please help the poor man out”, she whispered and the troll bowed slightly.

“Certainly, my Lady”, she answered and approached you. You could only see that she had short, black hair, big eyes, and her horns, which were not symmetrical; one had a hook, the other was straight. She helped you out by gently undoing the knot. She didn’t tear up the fabric, or get frustrated when the cape got stuck somewhere. After she was done, she helped you get up too. You didn’t feel too happy about letting her, but it would be rude not to take her hand and let you pull up. You didn’t need to look at the color of her eyes to know she was an olive-blood, you just got the feeling she was. You thanked her, and she went back to her master.

“Rose!” John exclaimed rushing towards the queen whose troll helped you out.

“I love the look. It suits you much better than the dresses we had when we were younger. I remember how you always tried to make them darker by stealing ink from your father’s work room”, he chuckled and she smiled.

“I was quite rebellious then. Still, I do not say I am not like that today as well”, she gave John a hug.

“It is good to see you. After such a long time!” she closed her eyes, grabbed him tighter.

“You too!”

“Did you forget about your dearest cousin?” Dave appeared out of nowhere, Roxy holding his hand. Rose gave him a warm hug too, then placed her hand on his face.

“Still behaving like a child. What is even the use of these sunglasses?”, she gave him a light slap on the cheek and smirked.

“It’s irony Rose, I wouldn’t expect you to understand”, he pouted.

“The irony is that he thinks they make him cool, but they don’t”, you looked at him with a malicious smile. Rose kissed her teeth.

“Your guard has quite a mouth”, she put her hands on her hips. You realized you have spoken out of line. Your face became red. You immediately bowed, tried to fix the situation.

“My apologies, my Lady. I did not mean any harm.”

“It is fine. This prince sometimes needs to be put back to his place, or he gets too full of himself”, the gentle look she gave you made you feel better. Dave rolled his eyes.

“What is your name, knight?”

“Karkat, of the Vantas bloodline.”

“So, Sir Vantas, I presume that was your dragon in the hothouse?”

“Yes, my Lady”, you don’t know what she is implying, but if she says something against Kankri or you, you swear you’ll burst and slit her throat right open. You are done with people disrespecting you.

“That is quite an interesting specimen. His blood color… Yours as well. They seem… Different”, you clenched your teeth. Your hands were formed into fists.

“That is right, my Lady.”

“Well, I would like to know more about you two and what makes you so special. Kanaya and I have been gathering information about all kinds of dragons, but this is the first time we have come across one that has no wings. I hope we will have the time to discuss the subject a bit, and that it wouldn’t be a problem”, her tone was serious, and she gave you a small smile at the end. Is she really interested in you two? Or does she want to use you in some way? In any case, she does seem nice enough now, but it could be a better idea to close up on this theme. You want to think about it some more in the morning.

“Yes, of course. I think he will be delighted to talk to you”, you still had an expression of surprise.

Jane looked around, saw the trolls that were standing behind Rose. She tugged her hand and leaned to her ear.  
“Don’t you think you should introduce your guards?”

Rose let out a small gasp, as if she was embarrassed by the fact she forgot about them. She turned around and muttered something to them. You were sure she was apologizing, because the three knights chuckled and nodded their heads to show there was no harm done. Rose stepped aside, revealing the three female trolls, each wearing a different style of armor, each from a different bloodline.  
The first one wearing a gilded armor with decorative green and light blue fabric. Her long, wavy hair was tied in a ponytail, leaving only a few short locks falling over her face. Above her forehead was a pair of glasses, pink and round, with transparent lenses. In her hand she held a golden trident, with feathers hanging from the branching area. She had rather short horns pointing outward. Because her hair was tied up, you immediately noticed her ears, they weren’t like yours, but leaf like. Actually, resembling a fin more than a leaf. She was looking at you with big, pink eyes, shimmering under the light of the torches.

“The Witch of Life, Feferi, of the Peixes bloodline”, Rose introduced her. Feferi closed her eyes and made a proper bow, took a step back with one leg and spread her arms.

The second girl was somewhat shorter than Feferi. Her horns were triangle-shaped, resembled ears of an animal. She had short, messy hair tied up in pigtails. Even though she had an armor, it seemed strange. There was a small hole in the chest piece, exactly where the heart is located, and she basically didn’t have any protection on her arms, just long sleeves. Attached to her armor was a cloak with a hood, the edges were torn and it only reached to her knees. She was looking around excitedly, having a big smile on her face, showing her white fangs every now and then. Her eyes indicated that she was of the olive bloodline.

“The Rogue of Heart, Nepeta, of the Leijon bloodline”, the troll chuckled and gave a quick bow.

“And lastly…”, Rose started.  
The third and the tallest troll stepped forward. She stood up straight, held herself with poise. She had short hair, even shorter than Nepeta. Her horns were long and asymmetrical, weird but elegant, so thin. You couldn’t see much of her armor because of the cloak that was attached so it covered one shoulder, and covered half of her body. You saw she had some fabric going around her waist, in a way forming a skirt that reached the ground. You also noticed a belt with a scabbard. She was carrying quite a large sword, if not something else. But she did look strong enough to handle a long sword without problems. Her face was bony, narrow, her fangs sticking under her upper lip.

“The Sylph of Space, Kanaya, of the Maryam bloodline. My personal guard as well. Feferi and Nepeta look over my sister”, Rose explained. The Jade-blooded troll blinked and slightly nodded her head, preforming a small bow.

“I am delighted to meet you all”, Kanaya said and smiled. She looked caring, gentle and affectionate. You weren’t sure how she was able to give out such a strong vibe like that, but it made you slightly blush because you realized you were staring at her. Actually, it was probably because of her unnaturally white skin, it looked as if it was glowing. You remember reading about trolls like that, that were able to glow. But it was also a sign of a Rainbow Drinker. Is Kanaya one of them? You don’t know, you never saw one in real life. Only read about them.

As everyone got settled around the table, soon it became very lively in the dining room. The girls brought much laughter in, making jokes, embarrassing the princes. Rose seemed to be the serious one of the sisters, sitting straight and elegantly sipping out wine from her glass. Kanaya was strangely alike, behaving in the same manner as her lady. She was also very tender, her eyes and smile gentle as she looked at you. It wasn’t flirting, she wasn’t trying to seduce you or tease you, she just seemed… Caring, motherly. It was a weird sight indeed. Firstly because even female trolls were dangerous, not much different than males, if not worse. Secondly, because you only met her, and she gave out this intense vibe of someone you could trust.  
Roxy was a very enthusiastic person, trying to make you all play games, talk about vague and taboo themes, fight just for the fun of it. She also liked drinking, first she was only slightly tipsy, but as time progressed and Jane ordered more sweet, old wine, it got worse. She couldn’t control her limbs, and sometimes would just drowse off for a couple of seconds. It was pretty amusing to watch her, but her behavior was rather unusual for a person of her status. You felt irritated by it. How could such a person rule over a kingdom? But you kept your mouth shut, you don’t want to make a scene right now, it’s late, and you are tired.  
Feferi and Nepeta were engaging in the conversation often, but were mostly talking to each other. They talked with a lot of energy. Feferi would sometimes stop and take a breath because of how fast she was speaking. Nepeta would then wait for her, sipping her drink from the chalice and curiously looking around the room. The thing you haven’t noticed before on her, was the tail hanging from the chair. It seemed to be twitching and moving, but so little that it may just be a part of her armor. An accessory? A weird looking accessory if anything. She also sometimes glared at you, gave you a bright big smile, showing her white sharp teeth. A strange troll she was.  
As for Feferi, you guess she’s fine. She doesn’t seem stuck up, and respects you. She would ask you questions about where you worked, and how are you liking your job now. She seemed friendly which was weird for someone of such a high rank. You don’t even understand how Roxy could afford her and Nepeta together. A middle class and a high class troll. It must cost her a fortune. And then taking care of both the dragons. The high-ranked dragons are huge, and since Feferi is a seadweller, you guess she has a water dragon, a dragon that spends most of its life in water. You don’t know about Nepeta’s dragon. But you guess you’ll find out soon enough.

“We shul visit the town tomrow”, Roxy said while wobbling in her seat. She had a wide smile across her face.

“I think that is a wonderful idea!” Jane exclaimed, clapping her hands.

“And I think you had enough to drink”, John said taking the bottle of wine in front of her. She pouted, her face blushed into a warm crimson color.

“Your no fun Joooohn~!” she hiccupped. He shook his head and sighed. What happened to her? She wasn’t like that last time when he saw her. Well, that was years ago.

“When should we meet? Tomorrow morning? After breakfast, I suppose”, Rose asked, but then looked at Roxy. She was thinking about was it a good idea.

“Oh, Jane, I am sorry, but my sister is in terrible condition. And we haven’t yet unpacked. Maybe it would be better to go another day.”

“Not a problem at all. We can visit the town anytime we want, it will not go anywhere”, she smiled and stood up.

“Now, I believe it’s quite late and I am very tired. I propose I show you to your rooms. Unless, some of you want to stay here?” Jane looked around but everybody shook their head in denial. You too were exhausted. It was a long day, full of excitement, and new people. And you didn’t like new people. They would make you very tired. This is why you preferred to spend your time alone.

Feferi and Nepeta jumped over to Roxy, picked her up from the chair and grabbed her around her waist, carrying her over their shoulders. She wasn’t heavy, but it was difficult for them to move like that in their armors. Dave and John got up, but both of them were slightly tipsy. Dave a bit more than John. He was weirdly light-headed, constantly smiling and laughing at some dumb, non-understandable jokes. John just looked at him in confusion. While you were walking down the hallways, you kept an eye on everybody. Especially Dave who was tripping over his own legs. You hope you won’t need to carry him.  
Jane first showed the room to Roxy. The two trolls gently dragged her in and set on the bed. She fell asleep while they were carrying her. They didn’t bother to change her to her sleeping garments, it would be far too difficult so late at night. So she was left alone on her large bed, sleeping soundly on her side. Feferi and Nepeta shared a room not far from her. It was smaller than Roxy’s, had two old, wooden beds. The room was darker, the walls were not painted, just out of solid stone. But the two trolls didn’t complain. They thanked Jane, and went inside while saying goodnight.

Rose was the second one on the list. She had a large, oval room in one of the towers. It was up the stairs that was located in one of the hallways, in the middle of the castle. Kanaya went inside with her, examining the room. Jane proposed giving Kanaya her own room right down the stairs, but Rose said it was perfectly fine for her to stay. When asked where will she sleep, Kanaya said she will take care of it. She was fine with sleeping on the floor, or on a pile of fabric. Jane didn’t flinch at that, she knew that trolls loved to keep piles of things and sleep on them. It was their thing. So she left Rose and Kanaya to prepare for bed in peace. It was still strange to let the troll sleep with her. Usually masters would specifically ask for separate rooms. Guess Rose and Kanaya had a special bond.  
Since Jane has already showed you to your rooms, she left you to find them on your own. She was complaining about her feet. She was wearing heels all day, no wonder she was tired. Those shoes look more uncomfortable than iron shoes of an armor, those at least came with a layer of leather inside them.

John was able to go by himself, and you said goodnight to him as you carried Dave to his room. It was inevitable: you carrying him. He was heavy, and you hated him for getting drunk and making you drag his fucking ass to his fucking room, that was in the fucking most highest fucking tower. What a nice job. They don’t pay you overtime, and you were sure you could make a fortune like that. Oh well, guess you were just destined to a miserable life of taking care of a 20 year-old baby.  
You had trouble opening up the door and holding him in the same time, but luckily, you made it. He was almost unconscious, drowsing away while mumbling to himself. You laid him on the bed, carefully. He looked so ridiculous with his shades on right now. It was double ironic, it was night, and he wasn’t even awake to look through them.  
You sigh.  
What an idiot.

You might as well remove them, he could break them if he moves while asleep. And sunglasses like these aren’t easy to find. Because they were custom made. Ordered by John. And were given to Dave as a gift. Six years ago.  
So you reached towards them, grabbing them by the frame and pulling them gently from him. You looked at his peaceful freckle-covered face. A few locks of his golden hair fell over his eyes. His soft breathing, silent heartbeat you could hear… They felt so calming. You reached to those locks of hair and slowly moved them with your finger. His skin was warm, hot to the accidental touch. The tips of your fingers burned as you tried to touch his hair again, move it from his face so you could see it better. You didn’t know from where this sudden fascination just awoke, but it was strong, tempting. He was never calm like this. You never saw him sleep before.  
He opened his eyes, only slightly. He looked at you with his scarlet irises. They overflowed from blood red to deep maroon, shining under the light of the oil lamp on the table. They resembled a flame, stirring your heart with warmth, but making you feel vulnerable, made you afraid of their influence over you.  
He didn’t think much when seeing you. He probably hasn’t acknowledged it at all. He looked so tired that you doubt he could even tell you what his name was. And it was better that way. Because you were positive your face was becoming more of the color of your blood by every second.

You were walking down the hall, back to your room, trying to understand this.  
You didn’t know why this happened.  
You didn’t know how is it even possible for you to feel something like that. To think of something like that.  
Looking into his eyes and feeling your heart rate going faster?  
He was an idiot, a spoiled brat who thinks he could do whatever he wants because of his birthright. He was always making ridiculous jokes, mocking things and doing stuff out of ‘irony’. But all of this… Why?  
Calm down Vantas, it’s nothing. Your stupid main functional unit is making you imagine stupid things, raise obnoxious questions. You need to sort this out.  
He was good looking, yes. His hair is almost white, silky to the touch. He had a nice, functional body. He was a healthy individual… Where are you going with this? You are examining him like an animal. Does that make you an animal? Is all of this just instinct?  
Instinct for what?...  
Well you are 20 already…  
What is that supposed to mean? Ugh! This is so frustrating!  
You smack your hand over your face, growling in frustration. You open the door which led inside your room and get inside. While getting ready for bed, taking off your armor and clothes, you are still thinking about what happened. Mostly how stupid you were to think of something like that. Think of him like that. He was your assignment. You are only protecting him, that’s all.  
You lay on your bed and look up the ceiling. Well actually, the top of the baldachin. Your breathing becomes normal again, your heartbeat as well. You finally got yourself to stop thinking about this situation irrationally.  
This was just the first time you saw him without his glasses, looked straight into his eyes. He had nice eyes, he was attractive. But that’s the end of the story. You felt uncomfortable only because you saw him as somebody else just then, a person close to you, an acquaintance, even a friend, not the person you were working for. It just means you need to keep your formal poise. Don’t get involved with their socializing, try to talk with them as little as possible, keep a straight face. And definitely avoid talking with Dave. And stop calling him Dave. Stop calling him Strider also. Call him lord, or sire.  
This makes sense. You feel contempt about it, and will follow your plan. A smile appears on your face as you slowly start falling asleep.

***

The next day everyone woke up pretty late. Roxy wasn’t up till 3 in the afternoon, but you think that’s not far from when she usually wakes up. Everyone was ready, waiting for each other in front of the castle. Jane had something in store for you, she said it was a surprise and that everyone should gather up when they wake up. At least that’s what the servants told you. She was still not here, while everyone, even Roxy, was.  
The royals engaged into a lively conversation, mostly trying to guess what Jane had in store with you all. You have nearly forgotten what happened last night. All those feeling were faded as if you never even experienced them, like it was a distant dream from last night. But the whole thing felt like a dream, it was just so absurd. Which was good, cause you would hate if this affected you.

“Good afternoon, Sir Vantas”, you flinched.

“Who the fuck…? Kanaya?! Jegus Lord! Don’t creep up on people like that!” you growled, but she only gave you a confused look.

“You saw me exiting the castle. I assumed you noticed me”, you looked back at the kings and queens. She stood next to you, keeping her hands behind her back, in a strict and elegant manner.

“Is there something you want?” you weren’t really up for a conversation.

“It seems that the alcoholic beverages we had tonight lost their effect on you. You seem rather stern this morning”, you roll your eyes.

“You only met me yesterday. You have no idea what kind of shallow presumptuous motherfucker I am”, you wonder if this will make her go away. But she doesn’t move an inch.

“I am then going to find out”, she chuckled. You sigh. You don’t have any idea about what she is talking about, is it a metaphor for something, or is she telling it literally. And you don’t have a clue what she’s planning. Because she probably is. Everyone has their plans and secrets, especially her. A weird, snoopy bloodsucker that is constantly near her superior is suspicious as fuck.

Jane suddenly appeared, behind her servants carrying baskets and bags. You don’t know what was in those baskets, but from the smell, it was lunch. Jane was very happy, she greeted everyone, smiled at the trolls and wished them a good afternoon. Then she started explaining what she has in plan. At least, some details. She didn’t say where you were going, just that you need to grab your dragons, horses and help out with the baskets and bags.  
So you went back into the hothouse to get Kankri. He was already up, reading some large book in front of him. His tail was flitching through the air, he always did that when he read something interesting.

“Oh good, you are up. And you actually decided to visit me, left your friends alone I see. Or are you here for a different matter?” he looked up from his book.

“Get up dickhead, it’s time to get moving. Jane is making us go on a trip”, you went to get the saddle which was right next to the entrance, lying on the floor since it was too heavy to be hanged somewhere.

“You interrupt me in my reading, and then try to comand me? You know Karkat, you are being quite rude. And I don’t like it”, he frowned, growling at you angrily. You roll your eyes and put the saddle on him.

“Shut up! You are the fucking laziest dragon I ever saw”, he turns his head to you.

“You are not going to impress anyone with that fake tough attitude.”

“Thank you for being my personal psychologist, Kankri! I will try my best to be the happiest fucking musclebeast with one horn on its forehead, jumping over a reflection of sunlight on drops of condensed water. Why should I be a dumbass to people, when things as affection and affiliation exist?”

“Displaying sarcasm is another way of avoiding the problem”, he turned his head forward. You took the reins and put them on his head, making sure everything is tight, but is not hurting him. Kankri leaves the hothouse, stands on the meadow in front of it, waiting for you to close the doors. As you finished, you approached him and got up in the saddle.

When you got back in front of the castle, all the trolls were already on their dragons. You guess they summoned them from the lair in the mountains. Gamzee’s dragon was again spreading its wings which wasn’t helping the crowded situation. The large dragons of the higher ranked trolls made Kankri and Nepeta’s dragon look small. Equius was sitting on his dragon, across you, and staring at you with an disapproving look. You don’t know what his deal is, but you don’t like it. So you frowned back at him.  
The guards were loading up the stuff in the bags which were then attached to the dragons’ saddles. There was a lot of stuff, and a lot of bags, but they weren’t a problem for the dragons. They were used to carrying even heavier things, like weapons made out of iron.  
The horses were getting nervous near those huge beasts, but John was the only one having real difficulties. His horse wasn’t used to dragons, so it began neighing, jumping up on its hind legs. John’s efforts in calming it down were useless.

“Sir Zahhak, would you mind helping?” Jane asked the indigo-blooded knight. He smile and nodded, jumping of his dragon and walked to John’s horse. He took its head in his hands, petting it and whispering gentle words. The horse calmed down immediately, it seemed hypnotized. But more like he made it understand there was nothing to fear.  
John was astounded by this, he wanted to know how did the troll manage to do this.

“He worked in the stables when he was younger. He picked up quite a few tricks”, Jane chuckled.

“Is everyone settled? Lady Peixes, will you be joining us after we pass the bridge?” Jane asked looking at her. Feferi didn’t have the dragon here. You don’t know where it was and why she was meeting you after the bridge.

“I will be going with Nepeta, My Queen. She and Meulin will be giving me a ride”, she smiled.

“Then you better get going. You don’t want to fall behind”, Jane warned them. Feferi jumped on Nepeta’s dragon, she sat right behind her.

“Of course not!” she laughed, gave a big enthusiastic grin to her. Nepeta tapped Meulin on the side and the dragon ran into the forest, down the trail.

“Now when that’s settled, we should get on our way. Sir Zahhak, please be on the front and lead the caravan. Sir Makara, I believe Kurloz is more comfortable in the air. You can patrol from the above, the rest of us will order as we please”, she smiled. The trolls did as she said, and the aristocrats moved closer to each other, engaged in their conversation again. Kanaya went forward, right behind Zahhak, and you decided to stay behind the caravan. You had no idea where you were going, but you hope it won’t be a long ride.

***

“You woke me up last night. That was impudent of you”, Kankri said along the way.

“I didn’t. I haven’t been to the hothouse since I left you there. Besides, waking you up would just make you complain. And like I don’t hear enough of that during the day.”

“I woke up after midnight. I never wake up without a reason. And you and I are both well aware it was a good reason. At least, it was so strong that it had to be”, you got out of the forest and reached the bridge. Great, this again. Everybody was already lining up and slowly passing over it.

“Strong? What the fuck are you talking about? You’re an delusional assta…”, you suddenly remember what he’s talking about. The feeling you had yesterday after dinner, it must’ve woken him up. And you thought you could keep it a secret from everyone. Knowing Kankri, he could blab it out somewhere.

“I sense how nervous you are. You keep forgetting about our bond, Karkat. Which is incredibly stupid of you”, he reached the bridge and started walking over it. You can’t deal with all of this at once. You felt terrified of the height you were on, angry at your dragon for bringing up that subject now, and nervous about spilling something out that he shouldn’t know about.

Wait, he knew you were reaching the bridge soon. He is doing this on purpose.  
“You ignorant little fuck! Just get across this bridge and I’ll snap your neck! You knew damn well we would reach it and that I would panic! [at the Disco]”

“Those are some serious accusations again”, he stopped and laid down.

“But I am not denying them.”  
The others saw you two fighting. They could hear you as well, but only some words, since the roar of the waterfall was louder than you two. They were confused. You saw Jane’s and Roxy’ worried face as they were trying to understand what was happening.

“You wingless piece of shit! Keep moving your idiotic and melodramatic ass over to the other side or I swear I’ll…”

“You’ll what, Karkat? You cannot do anything right now. You are holding my reins as tight as you can. There is no possibility of you escaping this. But we don’t need to be long. If you cooperate.”

“What the fuck do you mean by that?!”

“For whom did you feel that yesterday? Which troll?”

“You son of a bitch! This is so childish! You want to know who my crush is?!” You can’t believe you just called it a crush. You get up from the saddle, miraculously. Now you’re standing on the bridge. Your knees are weak, your body is shaking. Kankri turns to you, leans his head close to you.

“It is an easy question. I only want to approve of the person”, he tilted his head, moving closer to you.

“It is not a crush! It is not a flushed crush, nor a pale crush. It is nothing! Absolutely nothing!”

“You only felt that once before. And that ended worse than disasturous. I know what you feel, Karkat.”

“Stop saying that! I know you know it, you oversized lizard!” He was slowly approaching you, and you tried to run out of the situation, but felt paralyzed by your fear.You could only step backwards, grabbing onto the edge of the bridge, which was short, only reached to your hips.

“I am only making sure they are of our own kind”, you shut your mouth. Only for a split second. But he noticed.

“Listen here you little fuck! I don’t have to tell you anything if I don’t want to! And stop saying there is something going on!”  
His eyes widened. He frowned, his eyes burning with anger. When growling, he revealed his short, sharp teeth. Behind them, his throat was burning, you could see sparks coming out.

“I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU! YOU KNOW VERY WELL WHAT THEY CAN DO TO YOU IF SOMEBODY FINDS OUT!” He put his front leg over your chest plate and pushed you. It was not hard, he just wanted to scare you. Since the fence was so low, and you were already bending over it because of Kankri getting closer to you, you lost your balance.

You swung your arms, tried grabbing the edge. Kankri noticed that you were falling back. His expression softened and he looked at you terrified. He reached with his neck, tried to grab you by your cloak, but he wasn’t fast enough. Your arms were spread out to him, trying to reach his figure which was quickly becoming smaller.  
You could hear his panicked cries. You could see him rushing to the end of the bridge and climbing down the stone ridge. His body moving over the stones in wave like motion. He was calling your name. Over and over. And you saw the other dragons over you, trying to get you. But they were too far away.  
Your eyes started tearing up. In less than a second you’ll reach the water. You’ll be crushed by the rocks on the bottom of the river. The answer to Kankri’s question doesn’t matter anymore. Nothing matters anymore.  
You’ll die.  
And you’ll take your dragon with you.  
Guess this is the only thing you regret.  
Killing him.


	6. Mind your words

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter! :D
> 
> Same as always, all the designs I have made for character can be found [here](http://sintarija.tumblr.com/tagged/Dragonriderstuck)  
> (Feferi was done recently)
> 
> Hope you like this one! :3

The fall won’t last long. Even though the bridge was so high up, it was only going to take you a few seconds to reach the freezing surface of the raging river. The water tension is going to kill you, a fall from such a height is destined to end your life.  
The air flow was messing up your hair. You only saw the fluffy white clouds slowly travelling the vast sea of blue sky. The sun blinded you. Its shimmering glow prevented you for seeing anything else. The water roaring beneath you was the only thing you could hear. All your other senses were numb. You couldn’t feel anything, not even the wind against your skin. It was weird, felt like flying. Almost like you were free. Of everything. If your life ended now, would you even remember you lived? Was your presence in this world even important enough to be remembered? And what if you are remembered? It doesn’t matter anyway. You won’t be with the people you met here anymore.

A loud bellowing made you aware you were still alive, you are still falling. Below you, something was stirring up the river. The waves colliding with the large stones were altered, as if something was moving through the water. There was indeed a thing moving down there. Fast. Parts of its body would emerge from the water, shine under the sun. They looked like dorsal fins of a fish, or something like it, and moved in wave like motions making the creature resemble a snake.  
Again a noisy sound, this time a deep gurgle followed by water splashing around you. The only thing you could make out of the blurry thing appearing around you, were the huge sharp teeth, almost larger than your dagger. You grasped for air, swung your arms trying to turn around in air, but with no luck. You heard someone’s loud whistle, and the next thing you know, you were hanging above the waterfall, something holding you onto your cloak. Water from the river splashed you from your back. You looked, petrified, to the city seen below you.

“Back up! Back up!” You heard orders from a familiar female voice, it sounded so gentle compared to the sharp growl from the thing that was holding you. As you looked down, you could see the ridge of the waterfall, but also the beast’s legs leaned and pushed against the boulders. Well, not really legs, you recognized them as a part of a wing, because you were pretty sure it didn’t have any legs so it was using what it’s got. How are you so sure? Because no sane dragon would hold itself from certain death like this with wings. Come on people, be reasonable.  
Its long nails were scratching onto the hard stone surface.

The dragon followed the orders of its master, it slowly started moving backwards, but you felt how hard it was for it to follow the command. The water flow was quite strong, making it wobble. As it continuously pushed itself behind, it realized it can’t move against the river. You felt the teeth snapping harder onto your cloak, it was angry, frustrated with the inability to do as it wanted.  
It crouched down, preparing itself for a jump. The thought of that terrified you. You were saved, you don’t want to go flying back down to death again!  
But the dragon didn’t care what you thought. Well, it couldn’t know what you thought, but you were pretty sure it gave less than two shits about you. It jumped to the side, spreading its wings to get better altitude, and clung to the boulders it has reached. It wanted to growl, to snarl and protest to this fucking situation, but that would mean letting you go, and it didn’t want to do that.

“Karkat!” You saw Kankri a few meters away, his alarmed expression made your throat tighten. He was standing on the river shore, on one of the stones. His body was soaking from the waves that splashed him every few seconds. The dragon which was holding you, extended its neck to Kankri, carefully putting you down on his back, back to your saddle. You finally got a chance to look at it, the dragon and rider who saved you, but the beast disappeared in the water in the same moment it let you go. You only saw the glimpse of the rider’s armor. Bright gold, her hair long and flying through the air as she bended over closer to her dragon.

Feferi saved you? A seadweller saved a mutant? You aren’t sure why she did that, if it was any other high-ranked troll, you are sure they would have left you to die. You were astonished by this fact, breathing heavily, looking at the dark water and trying to locate her and the dragon.

“We should get back to the others. They are quite worried about you. Feferi will join us soon”, Kankri explained. His breathing was deep, heart racing. You patted him gently on the side, but softly, so he wouldn’t notice.

“Let’s go”, you ordered and he began climbing the rock wall. His movements were quick, body almost seemed like sliding vertically against the edge. You leaned to the front, to balance yourself to the gravity pulling you down. You were almost laying on top of him.  
The climb didn’t take too long, and as you got up, everyone was worriedly approaching you, trying to ask you if you were hurt. You just wanted some space, but you needed to stay polite about it.

“Are you injured?” Jane looked at you, she removed her glasses, took your hand in hers and twisted it around. She was examining you like a doctor, a nurse would actually be a better simile.

“I am fine, my Lady. I was saved in the last moment, but saved nonetheless”, you tried to convince her. She still hasn’t let go of your hand. Her eyes were closed, she seemed to be concentrating. You felt your hand heating up, not burning, but to a comfortable temperature. It was a weird feeling, but enjoyable, like your blood was warming up, like you were getting raw energy from her. She didn’t explain it, only smiled.

“What have you two been fighting about? Before the dragon pushed you over?” Rose raised her eyebrow, she had a stern expression, almost if accusing Kankri. True, Kankri did push you, but he would never do it on purpose. You mean, kill you.  
Want you killed?  
No, he definitely wants you killed sometimes.

Anyways, you concentrated on keeping a straight face, trying to think of something to say. But you weren’t sure was there something that could justify Kankri’s action, that wouldn’t make him like the culprit. You weren’t mad at him, you were mad at yourself for this whole situation. Ok yes, you were mad at him, and you are going to yell at him. But still…  
Just when you decided to open up your mouth and say something, a shadow was casted from something in the sky. It landed hastily, twisting its long body into a pile. From the saddle, the small figure of Feferi jumped off. She rushed to you, and started asking others how you’re feeling. You don’t know what her hurry is, but it surely has something to do with her dragon. It was staring at her with a menacing look, its large fuchsia eyes peering at her as she consulted with Jane. You realized it had a pair of dominant eyes, which were located on the center part of the skull, right where they should be. But there were also smaller eyes, they looked like weird colored scales, until you noticed they would open and close. And there were three pairs, all a little bellow the dominant eyes. You weren’t sure what purpose they served, but since it was a water dragon, it might as well be for a better view in the dark waters. Its body was slick and long, like a body of a snake. It had fins all over it, a dorsal one that covered the neck, then some parts of the back. The tail was a fin as well. Now you actually want to compare it to an eel, because it looks exactly like one. The jaws it had were full of long, sharp teeth. You are amazed how it didn’t rip you in half when it grabbed your cloak. It was weird for water dragons to have wings, there was no need for them. But if they didn’t have wings, Kankri wouldn’t be special. Hell, he could be even considered a sea-dweller. Then again, they would notice you’re not one, and that the blood both of you carried in your veins is much warmer than of the purple-bloods.

“H--EY! We gonna go or what?” the dragon growled and nudged Feferi with its head. Feferi flinched, turned around and said something under her breath. The dragon scoffed as she went back into the saddle.

“I shall meet you at the lake, my Lady!” she exclaimed to Jane. The dragon rose to the sky, its body moving gracefully through the air. It was fast, vanished from your sight in a matter of seconds.

“Right! We should get on our way then. Sir Vantas is well, so I believe we can continue our journey. Hopefully without further delays”, Jane pulled the reins on her horse and made it turn to the path again.

You took a right turn after the bridge, it was leading to the mountains. You were hoping that it won’t be a long ride, this experience made you tired, made you want to go to bed and just sleep for two days, forget everything what Kankri said to you. Because his words were spinning in your mind since it happened. You also felt his intense regret. He wasn’t showing it, he would never do that. But you felt a hole in his stomach, and his thoughts were haunting him.  
The day was slowly progressing. It was hot, humid from the cold night mist that was still evaporating, even so late in the day. The forest was full of life. Birds chirping on the branches, flying around you as if not afraid. The dragons didn’t scare them away, it looked like they were actually interested in the large beasts. The calming noises of horses echoed in the caravan, the clanging of the hooves over the hard soil were rhythmic, hypnotic even. The intense smell of forest flowers and berries was spreading through the air. You heard bees buzzing, collecting the nectar from the newly bloomed flowers.  
You were struggling to stay awake, clinging to the saddle as Kankri’s body movement rocked you to sleep. Your head became heavier, arms losing their grip, legs beginning to hang loosely over the saddle. You heard Kankri making a deep gurgling sound, almost like purring. He knew you were drowsing away, he knew you were tired. You were angry at him for doing this, you wanted to stay awake. Something warm came over your heart, it was his feeling, you knew it very well. Suddenly, you decided to give into his lullaby. Your eyes finally closed.

***

“Sir Vantas”, a distant call made you shift on the saddle.

“Should we wake him up?” it was John’s voice.

“Of course! He’s not going to sleep through the whole dinner!” a sharp female voice yelled at him, Roxy’s you guess.

“Wake up sleepy head!” she yells at you, wakes you up instantly. You look around, blinking to bring yourself around.

“My Lady, there was no need for that”, Kankri said calmly, but he was irritated by her. Mostly because she yelled right next to his ear. He couldn’t care less about how she wakes you up.

“But he’s up now! So, there we go!” she laughed, putting her hands on her hips, pleased with herself.

When you saw where you were, you stood speechless.  
All the dragons were already lying on the meadow. The high grass, reaching to your hips even, tickled them as they moved their bodies to adjust into a comfortable position. Their big heads floating above their riders, which were sitting near them, leaning on their bodies.  
Nepeta was sitting on her dragon’s shoulders, making braids out of the dragon’s thick mane. There wasn’t a saddle beneath her, and you don’t remember her dragon had one. She was a strange troll, seemed wild in heart but so serene in spirit. Her hands would disappear into the abyss of hair, only to come back holding a loose braid, which she would then tie up with some string. The dragon laid with its eyes closed, its tail slightly twitching.  
Kurloz was laying further away from the others, he turned his back to everybody, picked a place on the hill which was bathed in sunlight, provided an overview of the mountains around them. You saw Gamzee sitting next to him, leaning on his side and talking something to him. You weren’t sure what it was, but the dragon would respond with a deep rumble in his throat, as if agreeing with him. After some time they just started sitting in silence, enjoying the refreshing cool breeze coming from the hills, watched the clouds together. They were talking, you were sure, but not with words.  
Equius was helping out with getting things out of the bags, getting everything ready for lunch. His dragon was patiently waiting next to him, helping to get some of the bags up and closer to where is needed. There was an old tree in the middle of the meadow, beneath it a picnic blanket was spread out. On it were baskets filled with food, all kinds of it. From cold appetizers, to sweet desserts. The plates were already settled around the blanket, as well as glasses which were already full of white wine.  
The princes and queens sat on the blanket. Kanaya joined them, as well as her dragon which was curving its neck over to her. They soon all engaged in lively conversation, invited you closer so you could talk to them. You had no other option other than accept. You look at Kankri who was not happy about letting you get closer to them again. Strictly professional, you say to yourself and sit on the blanket. Kankri lays behind you, offering his body as a support for your back. He turned his head towards the bunch.

“Aren’t we missing somebody?” you ask when noticing Feferi wasn’t there. You wanted to thank her.

“Meenah was eager to finally reach the lake. She has not been in a steady water source for a while”, Kanaya explained. She was holding a plate in her hand, elegantly sitting with both her legs resting on one side of her body.

“Her dragon?”

“Sea dragons cannot live without water. They depend on it, food supply, place to live… They are not used to land, and cannot live on it permanently”, Rose explained. She was sitting right next to Kanaya.

“You have probably noticed that she doesn’t even have legs. Only wings and fins”, she sipped some wine from her glass.  
You looked over your shoulder. There was a lake, surrounded by greenery, mainly bushes and small trees. It wasn’t far away, but was at the bottom of the gentle hill you were sitting on. The water was clear, reflecting the sunlight, but still looked dark. The surface was calm. You expected to see them, at least the dorsal fin of the dragon, but they were nowhere to be found. Was the lake even large enough for the dragon to fit? Deep enough? Meenah was obviously the biggest dragon you have ever seen, her size taking up more than half of that lake.

“There is no point in trying to find them. They will reveal themselves if they want to”, Rose chuckled.

“It is actually absurd that sea dragons have wings, but do not need them”, Kanaya pointed out.

“Evolution is an interesting thing, and nature creates quite the interesting specimens”, her smile looks weirdly malicious, perhaps because her eyes are decorated with dark make up, to make her eye color more vivid, a light magenta. Her sister’s irises were similar in color, but more of a light rose color, which was ironic.

If this is an evidence of you starting to pick up Dave’s irony theories, you are going to kill yourself.

You knew what Rose was implying, glaring at you and Kankri. He noticed her comment. Maybe Rose didn’t mean to sound offensive, but she made it sound like you were freaks of nature. And that made you angry. You clenched your teeth though, can’t yell at a queen.

“What is so different about you and your dragon, that makes him have no wings?” she looked at her plate, pushed a piece of potato with her fork.

“I am not sure myself. Something went wrong when the genetic material was being processed. I believe you understand how our reproducing takes place.”  
You noticed what seemed to be blush coming from her. Her lips were slightly parted out of surprise. The dragon behind Kanaya coughed, taking your attention from Rose.

“Rose was always quite interested in the subject, as well as Kanaya. I myself share a lot in common with the mother grub. You have surely noticed my anatomy”, indeed, the dragon resembled the creature. It had two pairs of insect wings, connected with powerful muscles to her shoulders. Her body was long and elegant, and had short legs. Two pairs of legs were on the front, and one pair in the back. Because of the snake like body, she was very slick, she could twist her body with no effort. Like Kanaya, she had large front fangs, on both upper and lower jaw. She was mostly white, adding to her look of purity and grace. Only some parts would alter in color, reaching jade green, or light orange for horns and claws.

“To understand Porrim, I needed to study about her”, Kanaya blinked slowly, showing affection for the dragon. You would say they were even closer than you and Kankri, they respected each other. Not like your relationship. Your fuckass has totally different ideas for the world, he’s such a stuck up dickhead.  
You decided to continue with what you know.

“Our blood is of a different shade than of other trolls. And much warmer, even from the lowest of rust bloods. Other than Kankri’s wings, no other form of physical variations occurred.”

“Have you ever looked into what might have caused it? Specifically I mean. It must’ve been during the genetic material processing, but have you ever wondered what might have gone wrong?” Rose tilted her head, only slightly.

“We have never found another troll with similar problems. And it hasn’t been mentioned in any books. That I have read so far”, Kankri interrupted, sharing his vast knowledge of absolutely nothing.

“I have once come across a mention of a mutation in a troll. But I cannot remember the name of the book”, Kanaya looked at her plate, confused with the inability to remember.

“Do you at least know what was it about?”

“I only remember some parts. That the mutant was tortured, killed and then burned. But he was Messiah of some sort. Talking about uniting the trolls, diminishing the concept of status based on your position on the hemospectrum”, she explained, taking a bite of the rather bloody piece of flesh. You noticed she didn’t eat much, barely touched her food. Probably because she feed on blood. The question was who’s blood? Were some servants hired for her feeding? Or was there somebody else helping her out with the food source.

“H--EY! Meenah finally decided she doesn’t need me anymore”, Feferi almost but skipped to you. Though the thing she said didn’t sound sincere, like she wasn’t telling something, a big smile decorated her freckled face. She looked at you with her large eyes and smiled.

“I’m glad to see you are okay! That fall must’ve been terrifying!” you got up.

“And I am grateful for your rescue”, you bowed.

“I owe you my life”, okay, that was too much. This was just making yourself look good, which was totally unnecessary. They’re going to find out what an aggressive fuck you are soon enough.

“Well that is stupid. We just saved you and you’re already offering your life to somebody else”, she chuckled, sat next to you and crossed her legs.  
She had a point. Why do people even say that when they’re saved? 

“It’s a shame Nepeta is currently occupied with Meulin’s mane…” she pouted. Nepeta and her must’ve been really close. You wonder if they were moirails, it wouldn’t be hard to believe. They functioned well together.

“But! Now I have time to catch up with you! Meenah takes so much of my time, she tends to be very… tiring”, she let out a sigh. Something was definitely off with her relationship with her dragon. Kankri irritated you, but she sounded as if she was having problems with the dragon.

“She can be quite assertive”, Kanaya added. She surely absorbed their behavior, and knew them far better than you did.

“Nothing I can’t handle!” Feferi chuckled.

“I have known her all my life. It would be weird if I haven’t learned how to take care of her by now”, there was a slight twitch in her voice. Her laugh sounded a bit fake this time.

“She has been agitated with the amount of flying I made her do. She was much happier back at Queen Roxy’s kingdom, where she could live in the ocean.”

Rose nodded.  
“I noticed that she was not happy when she received the word from you. Her behavior has worsened ever since we left”, Rose looked at the lake. There was some rippling of the surface, a few times it seemed like the dorsal fin emerged from the water, only to disappear shortly after.

“I know! I fear that she might go on some crazy rampage!” Feferi was now serious, which was strange. You feel like the only thing she did was laugh and smile, this was a weird alternation. She then looked at you and Kankri.

“So that was the reason your dragon couldn’t save you. It all happened so fast that I didn’t even notice he doesn’t have wings!”

“Did you think I was going to let my rider die?” Kankri said with a calm voice, looked at Feferi with his judgmental stare. She seemed confused, looked at you for a split second.

“Of course not! It was just… strange.” You weren’t sure was she accusing Kankri, but she didn’t deserve this. She saved you from certain death, which Kankri would’ve caused, she shouldn’t be treated like that. You pushed your dragon with your elbow, frowning at him. He returned the grimace.

“So, you never flew? On a dragon?” You rolled your eyes.

“You just said you saw my dragon doesn’t have wings.”

“Well, haven’t you ever gotten a chance? From other riders?” You weren’t sure where this girl came from, but where you’re from, other dragons don’t just give permission to unfamiliar riders to ride them.

“Haven’t you ever wondered what flying was like?”  
Yes, you did. A lot. Being able to fly on your dragon would change a lot of things. To better. It wasn’t only because it would be easier to travel, but all the more respect you would get. You wouldn’t be viewed as mutants, you wouldn’t be avoided, nor rejected for so many jobs. You wouldn’t be despised as a kid.  
You shift looking aside. Yeah… You wonder what flying felt like.

“Of course. It has crossed my mind. But I am not used to heights, they make me… uncomfortable”, she gave you a confused look. She probably never heard of a troll who is afraid of heights.  
Wait, did you just confess you’re afraid of heights? Fuck! You’re a dickhead! You meant to keep that to yourself!  
You frown and huff, but quickly and silently, so not everyone would notice. Although Kanaya did. She chuckled and closed her eyes.

“That is perfectly reasonable. You have never flew on a dragon; the biggest fear a person feels is from the unknown”, she gave you that caring glance of hers, smiling and showing the tips of her fangs.

“And from the things we know too well”, Rose added.

“Would you like to try?” Feferi’s eyes glared at you with excitement. Her smile revealed many sharp teeth, resembling those of a shark.  
Is she offering to show you what flying was like? Because a part of you was curious, you wanted to give it a try. But the rest of you was screaming to be reasonable and stay the fuck away from somebody like Meenah. Even though she saved your life, you don’t think of her as a perfect selection for the first flight.

“You won’t get a chance like this any time soon”, Rose sipped her wine.

“Come on!” Feferi grabbed your arm and pulled you up.

“I am not riding the fucking sea serpent!” you yelled out.  
The others turned to you, trying to figure out what the fuss is about. They have stopped their conversation, which was till now going very lively. You weren’t sure what they were talking about, but you feel that the princes and queens were deep in the subject, and this interruption struck them as rude. But also interesting.

“Vantas, I liked it better when you didn’t share your personal kinks with us”, Dave raised his eyebrow.

“I have no fucking clue what you are talking about Strider! Why don’t you just get back to your mindless conversation and mind your damn business?” You saw Rose leaning towards Kanaya, whispering something to her. You don’t know why, but Rose gives out this extremely malicious vibe, and you don’t like it. The way she acts near you, she seems nice on her words, but her gestures… You squint at her direction, making it clear you don’t like what she’s doing.

“My business is being absolutely prepared to see all of your outbursts. Which are, in fact, comedy gold.”  
You close your eyes. Deep breaths, Karkat, deep breaths. While you were trying to calm down, making the red from your face caused by anger vanish, Dave turned to Feferi.

“Where are you two going?” he eyes her suspiciously. John instantly noticed his tone. He bumped him with his elbow.

“Dave!”

“What?”

“Don’t you think that’s a bit rude?”

“What did I say?”

“You didn’t say it, but you suggested it.”

“And what would that be?”

“Come on Dave, don’t make me explain it. You know very well what you implied.”

“No john, please tell me.”

“Dave, no.”

“Seriously, I have no clue what you’re talking about.”  
The more they bickered, the more annoyed you got. They were pushing each other, first only gently, then more aggressively. They weren’t whispering anymore like when they started. You rolled your eyes. Neither of them is going to stop with this nonsense.

“Would you two idiots excuse us while Peixes and I get back to where we left?”

“And what was the place you left, exactly?”

“Dave!”

“John!”

“Leave them alone!”

“Are you blushing?”

“No!”

“You’re blushing Egbert.”

“I am not! Stop it!”

“Why are you blushing?”

“ENOUGH!”  
The queens were just looking at the two princes. You guess they were pretty much amazed with their cousin’s idiocy. Rose and Kanaya were observing the situation and you knew very well that they are currently creating a social experiment from this situation. They’ll probably write essays about it and graph the amount of bullshit said during this conversation.

“Would you say it already?”

“You’re implying that they’re going somewhere alone!”

“We all already got this. I’m gonna need some more information.”

“Get to know each other better!”

“Egbert, you’re a genius.”

“Fuck you!”

“Not like he is going to fuck her.”  
Everybody paused. You swear even the birds stopped singing. John was wildly blushing, Dave was sitting next to him, his face expressionless, straight and serious. Roxy’s and Jane’s mouths were slightly open, they were motionless, shocked from the thing Dave just said. Even Rose and Kanaya were surprised. Rose covered her mouth with her hand, hiding the wide grin.  
You realize that Feferi is still holding your arm, which is not helping the situation. So you pull it back to yourself and approach Dave, getting close to him, crouching down and getting into his face. He didn’t flinch, no change in breathing or heart rate. He wasn’t afraid of you.  
You’re going to kill him.

“Who the fuck gave you the right to assume where we are going? Which fucking asstard made you feel like you could even propose an idea, think of an idea of what we’re going to do? I might as well have fucked her but your fucking ass should still stay out of it”, good job Karkat. Way to make things worse. You could almost feel the embarrassment Feferi was going through.

“So… You’re not denying it?”

“Words cannot describe the size of your stupidity!”

“SHUT UP!” a loud voice coming from behind interrupted you. Feferi was breathing heavily, her face became a deep fuchsia color. She was growling, ears bent backwards, her eyes flaming with rage. If she was embarrassed, she covered it with an insane amount of rage. Which was scary.

“I was only going to show him how to fly”, she explained, her heart still racing. Dave raised his eyebrows.

“Really? You’re gonna ride a dragon? Aren’t you afraid of heights?”

“I never said so.”

“You almost pissed yourself when going over that bridge.”

“Listen here you little shit! I am not afraid of anything! I will go ride a fucking dragon! Your petty ass is probably afraid of the thought itself!”

“Are you implying that I am not capable of flying on a dragon without shitting myself?”

“Your think pan must be on standby like always. I’ll use simple words. Flying! You! Afraid!” Dave got up. His face was still straight, but you heard in his voice how he’s offended. Gog, his ego is bigger than the shit that comes from his mouth. He stepped closer, looking up to your eyes, you two were almost chest to chest.

“Bring it on Vantas! I’ll ride that fucking dragon to the moon if I have to.”

“Are you talkin about me, buoy?”  
A shadow was cast over you, sheltering you from the gleaming sun. The huge head was hanging over your heads, drool dripping - or water, you’re not sure, from the long teeth pointing out the jaw. Its eyes were monitoring Dave carefully. You weren’t sure the large monster from the deep waters was angry, it was more amused by the terror it was causing. It lowered its head, squinted, looked Dave dead in the eyes. A deep chuckle came from its throat.

“Meenah!” Feferi made the dragon turn to her with a surprised expression, but it didn’t take her long to laugh. She lifted her head up above you again.

“If you’re so confindent about flyin, why don’t you come with me?” she hissed. Dave stood motionless, but then shrugged.

“Fine. If that’ll make you shut up.”  
Meenah laughed. You knew from her wide grin that she had something in plan for him.

“Don’t you even think about trying some insane stuff!” Feferi warned her, pointing at her with a finger so the dragon would feel more threatened. But it didn’t.

“I won’t do anyfin!”

“He decided to put his life on the dead sentence himself. If he dies, it’s only because of natural selection!” you rolled your eyes. Meenah lowered her head to you.

“Ha! This one actually has some glubbin potential to not be an idiot!”

“I’m not flying with you, unless he gets on a dragon as well”, Dave protested, crossing his arms on his chest.

“He can ride on me”, Porrim stood up, getting next to you. She nudged you with her head. Carefully, so she doesn’t hurt you with her long fangs. You were actually glad you are going with her. Your ride with Meenah would be your last one as well.

“Very well! I think we’re settled then!” Feferi clapped her hands.

“We should better move on the center of the meadow, far away from the tree. I don’t think the dragons would be too happy to get caught in it”, she laughed and headed towards the lake.

John stood up.  
“I’m not missing Dave making a fool of himself! Ladies, are you coming?” he bowed, and smiled. The girls chuckled, got on their feet and ran towards the two dragons and their soon to be riders.

You realize what you’re just getting into.  
Flying on a dragon high up in the air…  
With no safety belts, or whatever that could hold you onto the saddle.

Fuck.


	7. Stay professional

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somehow I managed to write this relativelly fast. :P
> 
> References of the characters can be found [here](http://sintarija.tumblr.com/tagged/Dragonriderstuck)!

Well, this extra few hours of life had been fun. Goodbye cruel world, you were an asstard who decided to face his fear in the worst fucking way.  
You were standing next to Dave, Porrim on your left side. She was walking silently, didn’t worry about anything. Her eyes were semi-closed. You don’t know how she did that, and Kanaya, making someone feel so secure only with their faint smile and gentle eyes. On the other hand, Meenah looked exactly the opposite. Her wide grin made her teeth stand out, her eyes blinking unsynchronized. She looked like she was amused by Dave’s moxy, that she was happy he was so proud so she could show him that flying a dragon is no game. Dave wasn’t scared, at least he didn’t show it. You would look at him with the corner of your eyes, just to get ahold of his expression. No change, as usual.

“I think this is far enough”, Feferi said and turned to you. The refreshing summer wind was cooling your hot blood, messing your dark, untamable hair. John and the queens were standing behind you, along with Nepeta, Meulin, Equius and Horrus. Even Kankri was there. He was interested in what was going to happen. Actually, he was expecting you to get up the dragon and scream out of fear. Why? Because it would amuse him. But there was something that he was feeling that you couldn’t make up. It was a foul pulsing in the stomach, contracting of his heart.

“You can get in the saddle now”, Porrim twisted her neck to look at you. As you got up, she was following your movements with her gleaming eyes. Dave did the same with Meenah. You noticed how she started shifting her body, fast twitches of her tail, spreading and collecting of her fins. She was making a deep gurgling sound, almost like growling.  
As you got up the saddle, you realized it felt much different than Kankri’s saddle, which was made especially for his and your comfort. This saddle was shorter, felt stiff and made of rough leather. But somehow, it was still soft. The stirrup was hanging low, you almost couldn’t reach it. You still needed to adjust it. You hope Kanaya won’t mind. She was almost a head taller than you, her legs were much longer than yours.  
You took the reins in your hand, then wondered if you will even need them. You were expecting Porrim to steer through the air, so you took ahold of the front part of the saddle, clenching your hands around the horn of it. She couldn’t see you now. Even though her neck was very flexible, she couldn’t turn it completely to the back.  
Feferi stepped forward to Meenah, who arched her neck to her. You heard they were growling at each other, trying to hide it by whispering. You tried to hear their conversation, understand what they were fighting about. But as you were finally making out some words, they stopped. Feferi rushed to the audience and stood there with a nervous look. Nepeta said something to her and smiled, probably wanted to make her feel better.

“Ready?” Porrim asked. You were sure by the melody in her voice that she won’t go anywhere until you’re comfortable. You take a deep breath and nervously shift on the saddle, finally gathering all the strength you had for the thing that follows.

“Ready!” you said it quickly, closing your eyes as if that would make a difference.

Porrim spread her fragile wings. You could see through them. Only the thin, jade veins made a pattern on them, showing that they really are wings, not only air. The sun made them shimmer, wind made them rustle. She moved them carefully, making sure they are in condition to fly. She would make a few strokes with them, swinging them through the air. Then you felt her crouch down, bending her legs and looking upward. The next second she jumped, throwing herself at least 10 meters in the air. She began to flap her wings, so fast that it created a soft humming noise. Her way of flying resembled a humming bird, or a bee, something in that spectra. She was effortlessly levitating in that same place, waiting for you to say something.  
The first thought you had was that this was going to be awful, that she’s going to take you high up and make you feel fear from the possibility of falling. But she handled it slowly. You probably look really dumb now, holding the saddle so hard, your body near hers as much as possible. As soon as you saw Nepeta and Feferi waving at you, you felt somewhat better. Their enthusiasm was encouraging.

“Are you alright?” Porrim asked you. You nodded your head, and confirmed.

“Then we shall go higher!” she said excitedly.

She went up, flying with quick movements, only moving a few meters at a time. But she was quick, her flying style was just different from other dragons. She was rushing through the air, started spinning and enjoying herself. You were still afraid, holding the saddle and pushing your knees against her body to prevent yourself from falling. She noticed that, and at first, didn’t really care, but after a few minutes passed, she stopped in midair.

“Karkat, I would appreciate if you loosened up a bit. You are not going to enjoy flying if you only look at the bad side of it. Relax.”  
But you couldn’t do that. Well, you don’t know if you could do that.

You were suddenly interrupted by a massive rush of air. Porrim let out a mad snarl, growling at the thing that passed you. You shook your head, recovering from the push. When you noticed what caused it, you became red with anger.  
Above you, flying through the clouds and alternating their shape, was a long snake body. Its large wings weren’t moving much, it was using the air currents and wind to stay up. As it noticed you were watching it, it let out a high pitched howl. It turned its body towards you, aiming for another ‘attack’.  
“Meenah…”, Porrim grunted through her teeth.

“Hang on! We’re going down!”  
That warning didn’t mean anything to you because she stopped moving her wings out of nowhere and turned towards the ground. You were falling down with massive speed, with Meenah behind you, trying to catch you.

“You’ll need to work with me Karkat! Stay on your feet!”

“How the fuck should I stand on my feet while we’re fly…”, you didn’t get the chance to finish your sentence. Porrim changed her course, moving sideways. You stood up out of reflex, pushed your body in the same direction as her, crouching down so the rush of air wouldn’t throw you down.

“That’s it! Don’t stop!” you heard happiness in her voice. Even though Meenah was chasing her, she was enjoying it. It was a game between the dragons, a race to see who is fastest.

Porrim swung her wings as hard as she could, pushing herself higher, all the way up above the clouds. The wind was stronger there, and you were moving over it. She spread her wings out, using the power of the wind to keep herself up. It was so quiet up there. Colder, but with more sunlight gleaming over your skin. It heated up your blood. The clouds became a bright orange color, with hints of red on the bottom of them. It was already sunset, the sun was slowly disappearing behind the mountains. It was so calm up here, feels like you escaped all your troubles, all the fears you had earlier. You closed your eyes, started breathing deeper, feeling your heart racing.  
Meenah appeared next to you, the tips of her wings almost touching Porrim’s. She had a determined look on her face, looking forward with her dominant eyes, but at you with the others. Dave was sitting in the saddle, relaxed, in the same position as you. His shades were now being of some use, protecting him from the intense light coming from the sun.

“I bet we cod get faster to that meadow over there than the two of you”, Meenah nodded to a place on one of the mountains, not too far away from where the others were located, but somewhat higher up.  
Dave smirked in your direction, and you responded by scoffing and frowning. Porrim hasn’t even asked you what you think about the idea of a race, she immediately responded.

“We will see about that”, she retracted her wings towards her body, racing to the ground. Meenah quickly followed her movement, reaching her in a matter of seconds. They were tied, flying next to each other, copying each other’s movements. Meenah would lean to Porrim, trying to get her off track and making her loose her balance. But Porrim was a good flier, maneuvering through the sky without problems, even with Meenah’s interruptions. Since Meenah’s body wasn’t originally meant for flying, she was the one having difficulties when she leaned towards Porrim. The wind would twist her body and make her lose her speed. You could hear angry snarls coming from her direction.

“You aren’t really good at this”, Dave said to Meenah, loud enough that she could hear. He didn’t pick the best moment to comment on her bad skills because she was already furious from looking at Porrim’s back. Dave noticed how she growled at him, so he understood that another wrong move could cost him his life. Meenah could easily throw him, an inexperienced rider, off her back.

“Look! Just get above her, let me do the rest!” he said and shifted in the saddle. She didn’t protest. Whatever he had in mind better help her situation because she is going to kill him if it results in the opposite.  
They were now directly above you, Meenah’s wings almost touched the back of Porrim’s body. You could only resemble her bright, yellow belly, and the ends of the saddle. But nobody was in the saddle. You moved so you could look up, see where Dave was, but Meenah’s back was empty. And that made you nervous.

Porrim suddenly dropped. Not only a couple of meters, but more. She was falling rapidly, flapping her wings as hard as she could but her neck was pointing down, and the weight on it was making her go lower. You could only see what resembled a cape, a red cape. Belonging to a certain someone who disappeared from one dragon, only to reoccur on another. Well, he’s going to fucking regret this.  
You stand up, trying to reach him. Porrim was growling and hissing at him, shaking her head and trying to free herself from his grip. He wasn’t doing anything that could hurt her, he was only controlling her head, holding it down while gripping and pushing the headpiece where the reins were attached.  
You reached towards the cape, getting ahold of him and trying to climb even higher so you could get him down from there. He noticed something was pulling him. He turned around, saw you and frowned.

“Hey man, that’s against the rules”, he said and smiled.

“There are no rules, and I’m going to make some. Number one…”, the ground was now only about ten meters away, with that speed, if you crash along with Porrim, she could hurt herself. You need to do something. Fast!  
Beneath you, the grass seemed soft. The ground wasn’t filled with rocks, nor was there a lot of trees you could run into. So you grabbed his shoulder and put the other hand on his side.

“Don’t touch my fucking dragon, you asshole!”

You pushed him with full force, but since you haven’t been holding onto Porrim, there was no chance you were going to stay on her. You fell, along with Strider, on the grassy land, landing with your back first. Dave landed on top of you. Somehow he turned in the air, in that split second, and turned you to the ground. The impact made your back hurt, but you felt worse. The thing that did hurt was Dave’s landing on top of you. Not far from you, Porrim was looking at you two with a frightened face, but after she realized you two were fine, she smiled. She was levitating in air, a few meters above a chunk of forest near you. But she quickly left, in the direction Meenah went, leaving you alone with the prince.

“Get off me you moron! This is all your fault!” you huffed, trying to get up but finding yourself being unable to. You felt too week from the pain, and from the chase right before this.

“You were the one who pushed _me_ off the dragon!” he sounded insulted. And almost angry.  
Good.

“You were the one who sabotaged the race!”

“We stated no rules!”

“I stated one rule, and you broke it!”

“You made it _after_ I already broke it!”

“You just admitted it’s your fucking fault”, you growled.

“I didn’t admit anything Vantas!”

“Get. Off. Of. Me!” you grabbed his shoulders, pushing him to the side and rolling on top of him. He was clearly unhappy about that.

“Listen man, I’m up for anything, but I’m not going to be the bottom”, he lifted himself up, did the same motion you did just a second ago, and found himself on you again.

“I don’t care about your fucking fantasies Strider, the only thing I asked you to do is to lift up your heavy ass of my chest!” Again, pushed him to the side and landed on top of him. You tried to stand up, already kneeling with one leg up, but he grabbed it and pushed you down. Because you were on a steep side of the mountain, the mead you landed on had a slope.  
And now you were on the edge of it.  
One wrong move and you are going to roll down it. You growled again, showing your sharp teeth. Your eyes were flaming with rage.

“That is for calling me fat”, Dave smirked.

“I didn’t call you fat! I called you heavy! There’s a difference, you moron!”

“So you don’t think I’m fat? Then you think I have a good figure?”

“That’s not what I said!”

“You’re insulting me Vantas…”

“And you are annoying _me_!” you tried to push him off yourself again, but he took ahold of your hands, moved them aside, disappeared for a moment only to immediately reappear next to you. He wasn’t on you anymore, but was sitting on the ground.

“You know, we could’ve had a really cliché moment right now, but I find you more amusing than romantic”, he said with a straight face. You looked up at him.

“What the fuck does that mean?!”

“It means I’ll do this”, he stretched out his legs, hitting you on the side with his feet, and shoving you down the hill.

You heard him laughing as you rolled down the hill in all your glory. You can’t understand how you were able to fall down so easily, and not stop for a hundred meters. You weren’t sure how it was physically possible to gather so much dirt in your mouth. And flowers. And bugs. Or how dirt was able to get into places of your armor you don’t remember having. You also lost your sword on your way down that was attached to your belt. When you reached the bottom of the slide, you looked up, seeing Dave on top, smiling like an idiot. You realize your sword is too high up to pick it up anytime soon. You were so exhausted by all of this. And Strider didn’t make you feel better. That flight was enough stress for your nerves for this week, you didn’t need him to make your life harder, than it is, too.  
He saw you laying on the grass, not moving, waiting for something to kill you. Cause death sounded pretty good right now, considering that every part of your body ached and you desperately wanted to get rid of that pain. Dave got on his legs, jumped on the slope and started sliding down it. He picked up your sword on the way.  
After reaching you, he sat next to you, put your sword between you two, then started laughing. More of a chuckle than a laugh.

“What is so incredibly funny?”

“Mostly you. That roll was unbelievable. I don’t know how you do it”, he smiled. You didn’t answer.

“I brought you your sword. I guessed you’ll need it.”

“Thanks”, you reply uninterested.

“Come on man. Wasn’t it fun?”

“Pushing me down the hill? Most fun I had in my life.”

“I mean flying. Up there, above the clouds. Didn’t it make you feel invincible? Made me feel pretty good. You trolls are pretty lucky you know, get to travel the world and see shit. Ride on your dragons and fight some ugly fuckers”, he sounded excited, but other than a faint smile on the corner of his lips, he didn’t show much of it. You let out an irritated sigh.

“I wouldn’t know.” He gives you a confused look, then remembers what you mean.

“Oh yeah, shit, sorry about that. Forgot Kankri can’t fly. But he can talk. He can really talk. A lot. I have never met someone that obnoxious. Have you know him all your life? Because I admire your mental stability”, you smile.

“I left my last bit of sanity when he discovered he could talk”, you laugh, shift and get up to a sitting position. Dave laughed.

“See? You can joke. And apparently you can smile. It looks weird on you”, he lifts his eyebrows. You look at him confused. You don’t know what the fuck he means by that.  
You start sitting in silence. Waiting for the dragons to come back for you. But minutes past and there’s not a sign of them. Not even sounds of their voices, growling of bellowing. It was strangely quiet. The wind was passing through the trees, it was the only sound you heard - the melody of the dancing branches. The sun already set behind the mountains, and the last light of the day was slowly disappearing, covering everything with a layer of darkness. First stars started to emerge, glowing in the sky and creating the constellations.

“Hey Karkat?” Dave looked at the sky. You don’t know when was the last time he called you by your first name. You didn’t respond, only turned your head to look at him.

“About the pushing down the hill thing… I’m sorry. I’m kind of being an asshole and making your job harder.”

“Yeah, no kidding”, you huff.

“That’s a thing about me. Don’t take everything personally. John knows me a lot longer than you do, so he gets it. But you still don’t seem to understand it.”

“Are you telling me I’m fucking slow?” you snap at him.

“Slower than time passes during your dragon’s fucking stories.” You can’t help but laugh at that, he joins you.

“Look, I really appreciate you sticking around. You’re decent at your job.”

“Decent?! I saved your life back in John’s kingdom!”

“I remember I was the one saving you, while you were laying on the floor like a damsel in distress.”

“I was the one to carry you back to the castle!”

“Wasn’t that your dragon?” You scoff. Fucking Strider and his fucking arguments.

“I heard you were mentioning me in your conversation. I would like to know more about the things you said about me”, Kankri appears from the forest right of you. His eyes were glowing in the dark, bringing out his red irises. He walked out of the shadows, revealing his long body on the moonlight.

“Why haven’t you joined us after your flight?” he asked, approaching you while you got up.

“Porrim went somewhere to chase Meenah but never came back”, you explained, trying to get off some of the dirt on you.

“Porrim and Meenah have returned to us. Porrim said she could not find you after your crash. What even happened?”  
You guess he’s right. If she came from the above, or searching on the place she left you off, she couldn’t have found you. So you were just waiting here for an hour for nothing. Great. You two turned out to be imbeciles.

“Pretty much nothing. We rolled down the hill and thought she is going to spot us.”

“We better hurry back, everyone is already waiting for us”, he said looking in the direction from where he came from. So you got to the saddle, and got up, sat in it. You turned to Dave, who was standing next to you two and offered him your hand. He took it, so you pulled him up. It seemed like he didn’t need much of your help with getting up, his jump was so slick. You guess it’s because he rides a lot. Kanrki’s clearly unhappy with another person on his back. He already carried him about a month ago, that was enough contact from strangers for at least six months. But no, you two need to get in trouble again.  
Dave puts his arms around you, but not like a hug, he wasn’t so close. His hands were on your hips, grabbing your armor tightly, but you couldn’t feel it because of the layer of iron. Still, the thought of how close he was to you, his warm breath on your neck, made you uncomfortable. His lower body was pinned against yours because of the saddle and its tilt. You felt your cheeks burning up so you bit your lower lip to get control over yourself.  
Kankri didn’t waste his time, he jumped back to the forest, ran through it. He avoided the trees with no problem, swinging his tail left and right to get better turns. His warm breath created white cloud patterns in the cold air. You noticed how the temperatures dropped, especially this high up the mountains. It was important that you get back to the castle as soon as possible. The cold affects you seriously, makes you tired and weakens your immune system. The flow of air caused by Kankri’s running was making the situation worse.  
You soon reached the meadow where the rest of the group was located. Everything was already set to go. You saw most of them were looking pretty worried, but the moment they saw you running from above, they let out a sigh of relief. Jane tugged on John’s sleeve to point you out, and you saw a big smile appearing on his face.  
As you got to them, Dave got down immediately. He didn’t ask for help, just lightly jumped off. You stayed on Kankri, there was no need for getting off. You’ll probably get on your way soon. Rose was already on her black horse, its long gray mane was flowing in the air. Kanaya was sitting in Porrim’s saddle right next to her. The three of them got close to you, Rose looking up to you on your dragon.

“We got worried about you two”, she said with a faint smile. Then she turned to Dave.

“You were gone for quite a while. Porrim said you disappeared from the place she last saw you.”

Dave shrugged his shoulders.  
“We weren’t that far away from there. I guess she just didn’t notice us.”

“A very strange situation indeed, cousin. And you did not even get the idea of heading back. I wonder what you two were doing up there. Must have been pretty boring, I am curious how you passed the time”, she chuckled, narrowing her eyebrows and looking at you.

“Rose, leave the fucking vague aside and say it normally”, you couldn’t see because of the glasses but you were sure Dave was rolling his eyes.

“Well, two young men disappear for an hour as if hiding, and then come back covered in dirt and their armors out of place. Don’t you find it weird Kanaya?” she turned to her. The troll nodded, smiling and revealing her fangs.

“Very thought-provoking, my Lady.”  
Your heart starts racing. This just happened. She is really implying what you think she is. You can’t believe this. You look at Dave who commented nothing on that, he just stood there. Oh fuck. Is he…? He’s blushing. Good going. You’ll make her think there’s really something going on.

“Look Rose”, he finally spoke, “I am still not sure what you are talking about, but me and Vantas were up to nothing. We were only rolling through the grass and got dirty from…”

“Oh, rolling through the grass? And got dirty?”

“No, Rose, listen to me. What the fuck do you think happened? We were…”

“I have some ideas”, she squinted at him and gave him a pleased smile.

“Fuck! Rose, shut the fuck up! We were only waiting for the dragon’s to pick us up. End of story. There was no fucking…”

“Fucking? Have I ever mentioned anything about sexual intercourse Kanaya?”

“No, my Lady.”

“Dave, I am disappointed to hear you accuse me of something so preposterous!”

“You know damn well you meant it!” Dave snapped and marched out of this argument, all the way to Lil’ Cal. Rose then faced you and raised her eyebrows.

“My my, what a temper my cousin has. I guess that one hour waiting made him pretty unsatisfied.”  
You let the reins go and tap Kankri’s sides so he would start walking. You raise your hands to Rose, flip her off with both of them, take the reins again, and continue moving down to the road. You heard Rose and Kanaya chuckling behind you.

***

Kanaya and Porrim were leading the way. Their luminescent skin lighted up the dark-covered forest. The caravan was mostly silent. Roxy was sleeping, as well as John. Rose was talking to Jane, whispering about some subject you couldn’t make out because they were far away, and the noise from the horses was making their conversation to indistinctive. Dave was riding in front of you. He was silent, for once, deep in his thoughts. Which was a strange new behavior for him. Nepeta and Equius were behind you. She was sleeping on Meulin, who was purring and rocking her to sleep; he was sitting in silence, riding on the back of an equally quiet dragon.

“Karkat…”, Kankri spoke in a low tune.

“Can we talk? When we get back. I would appreciate it.”

You don’t know what he wanted to talk about. There was a lot that happened today. You wouldn’t be surprised if he just wanted to nag to you. He could also yell at you for obvious reasons.  
You scoff. You wanted this day to finally end, to try to sleep off everything that took place today. You really weren’t in the mood to discuss the subjects of your fall, or your feelings. Those were the two things you really wanted to forget.

“Fine”, you said simply and continued to ride in silence.

As you got back, you helped out with unloading the bags off of dragons, as well as taking the horses to their stables. The princes didn’t need help with getting to their rooms, but Roxy was carried by Equius who was accompanied by Feferi and Nepeta. Jane walked to her room with Rose by her side, Kanaya behind them. The dragons left to get to their lair on the cliff above you. So you were left with Kankri.  
You were walking by him. No talking, just moving through the short, soft grass around the castle. When you got to the hothouse, you removed the saddle from his back, stored it to the same place you put it last time. The air was stale inside, but warm. It was a nice change for you two. Kankri laid down, already warmed up the place by lighting up the sawdust brought in some time ago. It didn’t burn long, quick but effective, created a layer of smoke that added more heat. It was a bit hard to breathe but you were used to it. You liked how it felt against your throat, which was strange to other people. They preferred cold air.

“Would you mind staying here tonight?” he asked you out of the blue. You were just about to leave. You rolled your eyes even though it wasn’t a problem with you. You were used to sleeping next to him. Even preferred it sometimes.

You started taking off some parts of your armors, the ones you could. the ones you did take off you put next to the saddle. Then you got next to him, sat by his side, where the saddle would usually be located. He put his tail over you, as always, to create a small but warm cover. You leaned back, adjusting yourself against his chest. He put his head on the floor, tilted it on the side. You knew he did that when he wanted to talk, but keep his eyes closed. The pleasurable temperature, and the rhythmic breathing of the dragon, made you tired.

“Can we discuss what happened on the bridge?”

“Fucking great! You know what Kankri? You can really ruin the atmosphere. Fuck you! Fuck your discussions!” you raised your voice. You were really not in the mood.

“I just wanted to inform you that you should be careful.”

“Careful about letting you carry me over the bridge? You got it buddy! Never doing that again!”

“About your fondness for the prince.” 

“There is no fucking fondness. He’s… Annoying but acceptable as a person. Sometimes!”

“You think no person is acceptable as a person.” Well fuck, he got you there. You sigh.

“Yes, but I am his guard. I should be able to stand his fucking shenanigans”, you pray to Gog that will be enough of an explanation for him.

“You’re getting too close to him. To all of them.” Guess you were wrong.

“Do you want me to get us fired? Cause I can. No fucking problem with that. Pissing people off is a piece of a cake with the text ‘you’re all assholes and I’m tired of you’ made out of whipped,and that is served on a golden platter.”

“I am only warning you.”

“You did that. Perfectly. Multiple times during this few minutes. And I said to you multiple times. There is nothing going on!” He stayed quiet. You hope this is the end of it. So you close your eyes again.

“Karkat…?” Murphy’s law, Karkat!!! Murphy’s law!!!

“What?” you ask through your teeth.

“I’m”, he opens his eyes slightly, not looking at you, “sorry…”  
He continues watching in front of himself, his bright eyes lightning up his cheeks. His eyes get blurry, there’s an overlay of tears over them.  
“For pushing you off the bridge…”

You could feel the intense contracting of his heart, and his throat tightening. He was on the verge of tears. You sigh, reaching with your hand towards his head. You pat him, gently moving your palm over his forehead. He really did regret what he did, immensely.  
“You didn’t mean it”, you whisper, trying to calm him down.  
“Now…  
Go to sleep…”


	8. Stay Allert

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> References of characters: [here](http://sintarija.tumblr.com/tagged/Dragonriderstuck)!
> 
> Mmmm... Seems like scenes like the ones on the end of this chapter are gonna give me a lot of trouble.  
> I needed to take a couple of breaks before finishing up the last few pages...  
> Ugh...

You weren’t awoken any time soon. You felt Kankri’s motionless body beneath you, his warm skin being a heat source for you. Around you were some leftover sawdust, some of it burned, some of it still intact. You aren’t sure, but some time throughout the night you feel like you got up and put more around you two. Also opened a window, because now you felt the cold breeze getting in. You were also covered with a blanket. Now, you have no idea where the blanket came from. Must’ve been somewhere from your bag, but you don’t remember touching it. All in all, you were very comfortable. You had something soft beneath you - Kankri, you were warm which made you really happy, and you had a quiet surrounding.  
The hothouse was a perfect place for sleeping. It had a familiar atmosphere. The plants were all around you, most of them not even something tropic and unrecognizable, but plants from nearby forests. There were ferns, bushes, a few palm trees, vines, even some mushrooms which obviously liked the high humidity. The bees would get into the hothouse. You don’t know how, but Jane made some kind of a passage for them. They weren’t bothering you, their buzzing was actually making you sleepy.  
Kankri was sleeping silently, no yawns, no grumbling. No rustling at all. You guess he was tired too. He would let out a small breath of fire every now and then, through his nose. It would heat the room some more. You only hope that the smoke won’t affect the plants. It’s not that you care about them, so much as Jane’s reaction if something goes wrong. She seems to be really nice, but that still doesn’t mean you should destroy her garden and possibly make angry.  
You would wake up every few hours, look lazily around yourself, then go to sleep again. And that would continue throughout the day. Until you finally couldn’t sleep anymore. You tried, but the rays of sunlight struck through the dimmed glass right into your eyes. You had the possibility to move, you just chose not to, and accepted that you’ll need to either suffer, or get up.  
You lifted your arm up, going through your hair, tousling it even more than it already was. You rub your eyes, then stretch your muscles - mainly arms and your neck. When looking up you realize the sun is awfully bright, more intense and on a different angle than during noon. And it was weirdly reddish. Could it be? That you really slept through the whole day? And you were still tired, but if you go to sleep again, you’ll end up being up all night. Which didn’t really bother you, trolls were creatures of the night, your vision in the darkness was much better than any human’s. As well as your dragon’s. The problem was your job, and the humans, who made you stay awake during the day.  
You don’t know why they preferred the day. It was much brighter, so annoying. And loud, everybody was awake, the birds were singing, the bugs flying. Ugh, disgusting. But you guess if they were awake during the night, the night would be full of fuss. And the day was hotter, you liked the warmth of the rays of sunlight against your skin. The seadwellers were the ones who liked the cold night air.

You spent half an hour thinking about the pros and cons for the night life. You didn’t really care, there was nothing for you to do. Actually, there was. You have no idea if the princes and queens are in the castle, or did they go somewhere for a walk. If the trolls went with them, there wasn’t a problem, but Strider was the one causing the problems, and if he decided to wander off… It was your responsibility to keep him out of trouble.  
You got up, gently moving Kankri’s tail so you don’t wake him up. You decide not to put on the whole armor, the chest piece stays, as it did the whole night. You take out a pair of pants out of your bag, since you only had some leggings on you, and you can’t go out looking like that. You still looked weird, only in that one piece of armor on you, so you just decide to ask for help in taking it off when you enter the castle. You also take some leather shoes, boots actually, reaching half way up your knees.  
You leave the hothouse, closing the doors swiftly but silently behind you. The grass wasn’t full of dew as usually in the mornings, so your shoes don’s get wet. You pushed your long pants into them, so they don’t drag on the floor. They don’t sell pants that long in every town, so you try to buy a good pair every now and then to have some in reserve.  
When you reach the entrance to the castle, the guards immediately recognize you, stand in a formal manner as you walk pass them. You can’t lie, the attention you’re getting feels fucking good. At least somebody respects you. They open the doors for you, making the large wooden doors create the loud sound they always do, due to the rust that has been eating away the hinges. Jane should really tend to it soon, they bring down the safety of the castle.

“Good evening Sir Vantas”, Rose welcomes you. She is wearing a black dress with purple details, and a gold ribbon around her waist. The long sleeves were wider on the ends, making the fabric reach to her knees. There was a choker around her neck, a different one this time. A black one with purple gems, probably amethysts. Kanaya strangely isn’t beside her.

“Isn’t it rather late to wake up?” You grumble.

You really aren’t up for a conversation right now. You just want to get the armor off.  
“Have you forgotten that trolls are creatures of the night?” you ask, teasing her.

“Of course not. I only thought you have already gotten used to working throughout the day”, she smiles. But again, her smile seems sharp.

“One cannot run away from his true nature”, you give her a forced smile, then look at the servant that was passing through the hallway, a few meters in front of you.

“Will you excuse me, my Lady, I have some business to attend to”, you bow and swiftly rush towards the small servant, a boy of roughly 14. You feel Rose’s glance, you struggle not to turn to her again.

You were out of your armor not long after. You gave the boy orders to go put it back into the hothouse, but to be cautious not to wake the dragon. Though you were certain he would, because Kankri will smell him, probably try to be intimidating and scare him a bit. But it’ll do the servant some good. You don’t know what good. Make him learn to stay on his feet? Yeah, sure, good enough.  
You hurried into the dining hall, hoping that there were some leftovers left. To your surprise, there were. The dinner was actually still going. John was there chatting with Roxy and Dave, Jane with the trolls. She was discussing the plants around her home, as well as animals, with Kanaya and Feferi. Nepeta was talking to Equius, they were weirdly getting along. You have no idea how anybody could stand him. Gamzee was sitting across him, sometimes jumping in their conversation. There was an empty seat right next to him, and it would be inappropriate for you to sit anywhere else, especially on the end of the table where you wanted to be, far away from the others. He was also the first one to notice you, so he put his long bony hand in the air, and waved like a raging lunatic.

“Yo Motherfucker! Come and join us in this fucking fine dinner!”  
You roll your eyes and growl, showing your sharp teeth. He gives you a smile, closing his large lazy eyes. His face paint is smudged on most places. You have no idea why he wears that. It doesn’t even look scary. He looks ridiculous.  
You sit next to him, taking the plate in your hand, putting some food on it.

“Nah man, leave that thing. Take some of the fucking pork. That’s the shit.”  
You give him a confused look, more of annoyance and admiration of his stupidity. He shows his massive teeth with a wide grin and proceeds to take your plate and make the choices for you.

“What the fuck are you doing?! Can’t you just leave me the fuck alone?” you yell out. He doesn’t even look at you. You stand up, but he instantly stops you by pushing you back with his arm pressed against your head. He is so lanky that there was no way you could reach his body.

“Vantas, just sit down and let the guy do what he wants”, Dave said slightly raising one eyebrow.

“Strider don’t you fucking tell me what to do!”

“Ya’ll should just shut your mouths and have some more motherfucking dessert. That reminds me brother, have you had this magical pie Jane makes? I could swear man, that pie is one of the best shit I ever had. A motherfucking miracle!” he puts a plate full of food in front of you. Seriously, it’s a small pile, you could survive 2 days with that amount. Even though he’s a bit fucked up in his think pan, you guess he means well. And those pies in the middle of the table that Jane made, really do look good. So you decide to accept eating the things Gamzee picked out for you. The combination isn’t terrible. He put a lot of different kinds of meat on it, as well as mashed potatoes, some vegetables, fresh bread, and a large amount of gravy on top of everything.

You started talking to others around you. Mostly Nepeta, who was across you, and Gamzee. Equius seemed rather displeased with you just hanging around with trolls higher on the spectrum, much higher. Gamzee was a highblood, you were sure his blood was just below the seadweller line. Nepeta, even though a midblood, still higher than you. But you weren’t even on the hemospectrum, every fucking troll outranks you.  
Nepeta was the one carrying the conversation, talking about her adventures abput slaying various beasts in all the kingdoms. She was a rogue-like warrior, a thief. She would lurk in the shadows to attack her pray. She and Meulin were famous because of their mischief, causing troubles for the ones that hired them. So they travelled a lot, seeking a job that could fit them. Eventually they ran into Roxy, by accident. Nepeta was roaming around the market place, selecting things from the stands and putting it in her cloak, until she ran into another figure. It was covered with a marine blue cloak, but underneath she noticed somebody of pale white skin, as well as large pink eyes. The man behind the stand, a couple of meters away, started yelling and running after them, she noticed how the person next to her was holding a bunch of apples. Nepeta smiled, grabbing the person’s hand, still careful not to make her drop any of the fruit. As she helped the person escape, it turned out it was the queen herself. They both smiled, as rascals as they were. Roxy quickly put Nepeta in her service, as well as Meulin, and they would go into town together, causing trouble as always. They stayed with Roxy, up until now. And she can’t complain.  
You expected Gamzee to add to the conversation with his story, but he only mentioned some vague things. You aren’t even sure if he had other jobs than this one. At least he hasn’t mentioned them. But you didn’t want to make him say anything he doesn’t want to, you already noticed how he started changing the subject.  
You don’t even bother thinking about Equius, he was so enraged a mutantblood was actually taking care of a prince, of somebody of such a high status, that he refused to talk to you. Actually, he did say some things, but they were insults regarding your blood. You could have responded to them, and you did a few times, but you mostly kept your mouth shut. Just looked angrily to the side and grumbled something to yourself. In the end, you were at the table, you can’t just cause a scene every time somebody says something you don’t like. You aren’t 16 anymore.

The dinner was over soon, most of the royalty went back to their chambers with a full stomach and feeling sleepy because of it. All the girls left, as well as John. As for trolls, only Gamzee and Nepeta stayed. They were still talking about some of their adventures, miracles, various beasts and monsters they faced, the most beautiful places in the world… You contributed to the conversation, sharing your ‘wildest’ adventures that involved killing a few horrorterrors, confronting some goblins and fire fairies. Dave joined in, sat next to Nepeta, where Equius was sitting before. He complained about the sweat that was all over the cushions.  
Then, after half an hour, Nepeta and Gamzee decided to go back to sleep. They were up all day, unlike you. As they left, you were left alone with Dave sitting almost across you. There was a dense silence in the room, you didn’t know what to say or how to start a conversation, and frankly, you didn’t want to. There was still some food left in your plate, you ate most of it. Guess that skipping breakfast and lunch really makes you hungry. Gamzee was right after all about the amount you needed. And the whole dinner was so good, but you shouldn’t eat too much.

“Hey Vantas, I’m going to town today”, he finally said, looking straight at you.

“Let me guess, you need a fuckass to escort you.”

“Exactly. You know John would kill me if I go alone”, he smiles.

“So you’re afraid of the scrawniest kid in the castle?” He looks to the side, his smile fades.

“I just… don’t want him to worry.”

That response threw you off track. He cares about John, and notices how much he cares. You remember how John used to sit next to Dave’s bed while he was sick, how he cried and clenched Dave’s numb hand. John was worried, a lot, and too much about the people he loves. You look down on your plate, let out a long sigh.  
“Yeah, alright. I have nothing better to do anyways.”

“Great! We leave immediately!” Dave jumped up, his cape flying through the air. You almost choke on a piece of potato because of his loud exclaim.

“You good Vantas? Don’t choke on that. If you do, and you die, I’ll be obligated to make a song on your stupidity”, he put his hands on the table and leaned over. You were still coughing like crazy, tears appearing in your eyes.

“Fuck you Strider!” you barely manage to say. Then you finally swallow the piece that almost made you suffocate. You take a deep breath, give Dave a raging look. He just shrugged, a smile appearing on the corners of his lips.

“Come on! We don’t have all night, we need to be down before midnight. And don’t bring Kankri with you, borrow John’s horse, he won’t mind.”

“Where exactly are we going?” you ask, moving around the table to get to him. He was already waiting next to the door, looking at you impatiently.

“I hope you like surprises because I am not telling you”, you open the door for him, then exit behind him. The maids are already cleaning up the table, you could hear the clatter of plates in the hallway. Dave leads you through the hallways, all the way to the front door, and you go around the castle towards the stables.

“And you won’t need an armor. Take some regular clothes. I see you do have them. But take a cleaner shirt Vantas, this one is in such a bad shape you could use it as a cleaning cloth.”

“Thank you for your valuable observation, Lord Strider. It expanded my whole perspective on the whole damn universe. I am not worthy of you commenting on my fashion sense.”

“Bring your sword and cover yourself with a cape”, he continued as if you said nothing.

“You just told me to change everything that I wear and now you want me to wear a cloak. That has no fucking sense, I could wear this and have a cloak over it and nobody would complain.”

He turns his head and scoffs.  
“Trust me Vantas, you want to wear something better.”

You reach the horse stables, a building near the castle that had its own pasture in front of it covered with fresh grass, willow trees that created shade, and daisies, which already closed their petals, scattered in bunches. There were still noises coming from the stable, horses neighing and the beating of their hooves against the stone floor. A faint light was illuminating the space inside. Dave instructed you to take care of the horses, lead them in front of the castle and then get changed. In the meantime he’ll need to change his clothes too, because they were apparently too flashy, people could recognize him. You have no idea where you are going, but his way of keeping it a secret made you question what business he has going on in the town. Maybe gambling? You wouldn’t be surprised, a lot of royalty here goes to town to gamble. Taverns? Probably. If he doesn’t want to get recognized and go down for a drink or two, to chat with some women and get back afterwards. Speaking of women, there was another option, and you wouldn’t be surprised if that was the one he was thinking about.  
You changed to some nicer clothes. Not actually nicer, just cleaner. You took of the cape from your armor. It will work as a cloak. You have a pin somewhere in the smaller pockets of your bag, it should be strong enough to keep the heavy fabric from falling off. You didn’t look very decent, more like a homeless person begging for money. Having the cloak cover your horns and skin wasn’t a very good idea. Usually the guards assume the trolls who hide under a cover, hide from the authorities too. You don’t even know why it matters if you have something covering your head, your eyes are so bright they light up your cheeks inside the hood, give out the color of your blood as well. You took your belt with you too, the scabbard attached to it. You never know when you’ll going to need a sword. Better safe than sorry.  
Kankri was still sleeping, he only stretched when you came through the door. It’s better if you take horses, Dave was right. If you woke up Kankri now, he would be in a bad mood the whole time. It would also take you a lot of time to get the saddle up on him. He would be protesting about it, you just know it.  
As you leave the hothouse, you realize Dave is already waiting for you. He isn’t wearing his usual attire anymore. No elegant shirts and jackets, no leggings, nor armor. He was only wearing a loose rough shirt, with a string around the collar with which he could close up the v neck on it, but he didn’t. So it was revealing most of his collarbone, which was curving out so nicely on his dark skin. He had dark pants, only attached to his hips with the belt where his scabbard was attached. He combined everything with high leather boots, reaching all the way to his knees. He covered himself with a dark red cloak, on his chest a golden pin in the shape of two small gears that was holding it up. His whole look wasn’t much different from yours, but you do look shabbier. A lot shabbier. Especially because of that pin and the velvet cloak. But the red cloaks, his somewhat darker than yours, made you two look in synch, like you were actually his guard. There’s a slight chance there won’t be any problems with you escorting him to his ‘business’.  
He gives you the reigns to John’s horse, then gets up on Lil Cal’. John’s horse is afraid of you, you see the fear in its eyes as it meets yours. You try to remember what Equius did, but you’re not him. Still, you give it a try, patting the muzzle of the animal, shushing it gently. The horse is still tight, nervously twitching its legs on the ground. Soon enough, it does help. The horse’s eyes close and you let out a sigh of relief. It would give you too much trouble on the way if you didn’t calm it down first. Dave was impatient, there was a half an hour left till midnight. You doubt there was any chance you were going to get to town in time. You get up the horse, put the cloak over your head, fasten the pin so it won’t fall off during the trip.

“Ready?” Dave asks but doesn’t expect a response, just tips his horse and goes running towards the back of the castle. You follow him, John’s horse quickly catching up to Lil Cal’.

You were soon travelling through the dark forest. The atmosphere seemed ominous, there were no sounds around you, any that you could hear. The clatter of the hooves was so loud that it covered all the noise coming from the woods. The trees seemed alive somehow, fireflies glowing around them. And there was a powerful feel of energy, like pure life magic. You weren’t sure if this is Jane’s work. It could be. Maids have mysterious powers, so even though Jane is currently sleeping, maybe her power is keeping everything awake, giving everything pure life energy.

***

You weren’t really going to the town. You did pass through some of the streets, but Dave led you away from it. You were travelling on some dirt road in the forest near the city. You could still see the lights behind you, but they were fading amongst the trees. It was pure darkness around you, and you weren’t sure how Dave knew where he was going. This actually rose another question. Jane haven’t showed you the town yet, let alone some mysterious buildings a few miles away from it. Furthermore, Dave hasn’t been to Jane’s kingdom in some time. Or was he? How does he know where he’s going? Maybe he got to ask her during the day. Still, this was suspicious. And the fact that you don’t know what this is all about is making you anxious.  
There was a light ahead of you, an oil lamp illuminating the porch of some building. Tavern to be exact, you could see there was a sign above the door but couldn’t read it just yet. The more you advanced to it, the more you realized how big the house was. It had three floors, with windows closed shut. Behind some of the wooden planks, there were faint lights, in different colors. The widows probably had some curtains over them. The porch only had one oil lamp hanging from one of the pillars. It led to an old, rusted door, but with a colorful mural in the center of it. Music was coming from inside, as if somebody was playing the violin. No, the sound was much deeper… It was a cello.

A man appeared from the shadows of the porch, revealing his wrinkled face. He stepped forward, taking the reins of the horses as you jumped off. Dave thanked him, giving him a small tip of a few gold coins. The man led the horses in the back, probably in a stable of some sorts, maybe a fenced pasture where the horses could walk freely.  
As you stepped onto the porch, you started realizing where you were. The sign above the door was featuring a profile of a young, smiling woman. Her golden hair curling up around her neck. It was a well-known logo, a lot of the institutions, like this one, used similar ones. The sound of the cello muffled the silent sounds of moans coming from the rooms. Humans probably couldn’t hear them when entering the building, but your sensitive hearing could pick them up. You looked at Dave who was keeping a straight face, there was no sign of him being nervous or embarrassed about it. After all, it was normal for princes and kings to visit brothels. The women did it too, but they tend to place an order for somebody to visit them, not the other way around.

Brothels weren’t a theme that was avoided in conversation. Most conversations only include talking about the service, was it good or bad, recommendations are shared, as well as some anecdotes. But they never shared something very intimate about the experience, and avoided speaking in details. It was always a very high class subject, always treated with respect. And there was hardly ever some nasty rumors about the people who went to the brothels, since nearly everyone used their services.  
Dave entered the house, letting the door go, so you closed them behind you. You noticed a lot of paintings on the pastel-colored walls, most with beautifully decorated frames. A stairway left of the door was leading to the second floor, the handrail was full of flower patterns. There were rooms left and right of you, no closed doors covering what’s behind them, but pathways that revealed a classy dining room on one side, and a large living room with comfortable couches on the other side. In front of you there was a narrow hallway leading to a port. There was nobody there, but the music form the cello suddenly stopped. Right as you reached the desk, an older woman, roughly in her forties, appeared from behind the curtain leading to the room that was at the end of the hallway. Her long, slick dress was dragging on the floor, elegantly covering her body. Even though twice as old as you, she was skillful enough in applying make-up to hide it. Her long, black hair was the only thing giving away her age. It was tied in a messy bun, the curly loose locks flowing over her back. She had traces of white hair that she didn’t bother hiding. Her arms were full of various jewelry, mostly golden rings and loose bracelets made of gems. Around her neck there was a necklace with a clear crystal, probably a quartz.  
Dave lowered his hood, but you left yours on. She didn’t need to know you were a troll. And you will be leaving the house soon enough anyway.

“Good evening, My Lord”, she bowed gracefully, moving her hands slowly to the side and stepping backwards to make an appropriate woman bow. Dave only nodded.

“I suppose you will be staying for the night?” she asked turning around to look at the little hooks where the keys were hanging.

“I will also be paying for my guard”, he said, his face still stern.

You stood by him, astounded. This was very unusual for somebody to do, especially for a troll guard. You weren’t even sure somebody was willing to be of service to you. You looked at him, with a confused expression, and while the lady was picking out one of the keys, you took a chance to talk to him.  
“What the fuck are you doing?” you asked him under your breath.

“I am giving you a gift, what does it look like?”

“You never said anything about it. Did you even consider that I maybe wouldn’t be up for it?” you growl, a little too loud, so the lady notices. She turns around giving Dave his key, then looks at you. You stay silent, looking back at her, revealing your shining eyes.

“You are in luck, my Lord. We are one of the rare institutions that do provide service for trolls, though I hope you don’t mind,” she glances back at you,” it is going to be a human girl.”  
She formed a smirk, slightly chuckling, then turning around to get another key. You swallowed. This isn’t exactly what you wanted. This gesture is highly embarrassing, and spending a night with a human… This wasn’t really allowed. Actually, it was illegal. You could get arrested, even killed if the girl says something against you.

“You need not to worry Sire”, the lady turned to you, handed you a small iron key, “our girls are one of the best in the service. The one you are staying with is used to bite marks, scratches and bruises. She won’t take it against you.”  
You flush, the thought of harming the poor girl is making you uncomfortable, but it was inevitable. You had sharp teeth, long nails that could almost classify as claws, and you were surely stronger than her. If you are going to do this, she is going to be covered with marks all over her skin for some time.

“Vantas, snap out of it”, Dave pushed you with his shoulder.

The lady was already leading you towards the entrance, but turned right to the stairs. She climbed up, carrying a candle in her hand so she could light up the hallway. As you reached the second floor, the moans and sighs got louder, but were still muffled by the thick walls and strong wooden doors. There were many rooms on the second floor, left and right of the stairway were hallways leading to different ends of the house. Each hallway had ten doors on each side. Between the doors there were candles on chandeliers, or drawings of nature, some of naked women sitting in the grass, running through meadows or reading under the shadow of a tree. There was even one with a female troll standing next to her water dragon, her long hair reaching and overflowing the ground. She was cleaning the scales of the beast.

“I see you noticed the paintings”, she said but didn’t turn around. She only turned her head enough to glance at you with the corner of her eye.

“In here we respect the beauty of a woman. And praise the body she has. Not every woman’s body is perfect by the standards of men, but here… We want to show them that they are all beautiful as they are, they all deserve the pleasures of the world. In the end, life is all about the pleasure”, you couldn’t see, but you swear she was smirking. 

“Women are beautiful to other woman. Every single one has her perks. But we are jealous creatures and tend to gossip about each other’s looks. This includes female trolls, though nobody paints them these days, not in a way that they deserve”, she lets out a sigh.

When she reached the end of the hallway, she turned left to another hallway which you didn’t notice before. It was dark in there, and much quieter. Windows were on one side of the hallway, almost nothing on the other side. It seemed empty, till you got to the end of it. There were two doors, each leading to a separate room which was across of the other one. The lady turned to you.

“The one left is for the prince, the one to the right is for you, Sir Vantas”, she smiled and bowed, then proceeded to leave the hallway from where she came. You looked nervously at your key, turning it around in your hand.  
Dave has already unlocked the room reserved for him. You could see that there was a baldachin in the middle of it, a couch under a large window covered with curtains, and a small table with a chair in front of it. The girl inside had long, black, wavy hair reaching to her hips. She was wearing a simple white dress that had a wide collar opening, revealing a large part of her chest. You glanced back to the lock of your door. You might as well use the opportunity, you’ve been under a lot of stress lately.  
So you unlock it, putting the key inside the lock and turning it with little effort. The doors practically open on their own revealing a room similar to Dave’s. There was a bed, a baldachin with purple drapes around the pillars. The window was covered with light orange curtains, you saw how they were shut from the outside. But the room wasn’t stuffy, it smelled nice, of women’s perfume. There was a large mirror over a desk where a lot of cosmetics were lying. All kinds of lipsticks, eyeliners, brushes and powders. In a large wooden chair there was a red haired woman, combing her long hair. Her pale skin was covered with small orange freckles. Her fingers were running through her silky hair, untying the small knots. She noticed you, glancing at you with her bright green eyes. Her red lips curved to a gentle smile. She stood up, dragging the long white dress on the floor. It was the same as the one Dave’s mistress was wearing. It was of a light material, almost see-through, covering the curves of her nice body.

“Good evening knight”, she bowed. You weren’t sure what to say, so you let her speak.

“You have weird eyes, my Lord”, she came closer to you, circling around you, moving her gentle fingers across your shirt.

“I have never seen a troll with such a bright blood color”, she chuckled. Her voice was so melodic, almost hypnotizing. The way she was speaking wasn’t to insult you, but implying her playfulness.

“So knight, who do you want me to be tonight? Who do _you_ want to be tonight?”, she stood in front of you, putting her warm hands over your chest.

“What do you mean, my Lady?” you asked politely. Her voice was so soothing.

“I have been a matesprit to some”, her hands travelled up your neck.

“I have been a kissmesis to others”, she tilted her head revealing deep bite marks that were still bruised. You suddenly realized those were not the only ones. Her lower lip had a cut over it, her shoulders were full of teeth marks, and the of her arms were black because of the bruises, filled with scratches, even some stiches.

“I hope my physical appearance doesn’t bother you Sire”, she leaned forward, stepped on her toes. Her motions were so grateful, she seemed like she was floating in the air.  
You shook your head.

“Now, who are you, Sire?” she turned you around, started pushing you slowly towards the bed.

“Are you a fearless knight?”, her lips brushed against your ear. You jolted, your ears were always very sensitive.

“Are you the richest king in the land?”, she whispered again. Her warm breath making you shiver. But as she pushed you onto the bed, and as you fell on the soft mattress, you realized the door was still open. Dave’s too. You could see him in his room, sitting in the chair, his shirt lying on the ground, the woman’s dress next to it. The girl was sitting in his lap, facing him, arching her back to kiss him from above. He was reaching for her, his hands sliding over her back, to the front of her, grabbing her exposed breasts. Then bushing against her skin, down to her hips, bringing them closer to his abdomen. She was smiling, passionately kissing him, their tongues brushing against each other. Silent moans would come out of their direction when their lips parted. Their touches were so passionate, burning with lust.

“Sire, with all due respect, you seem to be more interested in my friend”, she smiled, to your amazement. You would be furious if somebody did that to you. And when you realized how awful your staring seemed like, you look to the other side and curse.

“It is alright, my Lord”, she got up. You put your hand over your face. You can’t believe you were so stupid. This whole situation is so embarrassing, especially since a human girl is involved. You didn’t want to hurt her. You were so angry at yourself for being such an ignorant little fuck and made her feel not wanted.

“Look! I’m sorry! This isn’t something that I wanted! That asshole never asked me if I was up for this, he just said: ‘yeah, we’re going to do this! I am getting laid, and you are getting laid too! I don’t care if it was a part of your plans!’ And I wasn’t going to be an insensitive little bitch as he was, I wasn’t going to refuse the fucking offer!”

She closed the door, turned back to you, slowly started moving forward.

“I would rather go jump off the fucking roof and make a pirouette while landing in a pile of horse shit than to do something like he did!”

“Sire, you are forgetting something”, she chuckled, reaching towards you, framing your jaw line with her white fingers.

“I am not hurt. I am paid to do this. I am paid to make your worries go away. You do not make me jealous of her. You do not make me jealous of him. I am only here to make you feel at peace, even for a couple of hours”, she whispered, her lips only an inch away from yours. You were sitting on the edge of the bed, looking her in the eyes as she bend over to come closer. She climbed on top of you, pushing your upper body down on the bed. Her hair fell beside you, smelling like fresh apples.

“I am here to make you forget the whole world”, her voice lowered, she glanced at your lips before giving you a sweet kiss. Her lips were so much more tender than yours, it was like kissing the petals from a flower. You started returning the kiss, twisting your tongue against hers. Your teeth were brushing against her lips, causing little cuts that soon started bleeding. When you noticed the warm liquid on your tongue, you stopped, parting your lips from hers. She gave you a confused look but soon realized why you stopped.

“Please Sire, I’ve gone through worse. Having scratches and bites is a regular occurrence for me”, she kissed you again. Your hands started travelling up her hips, lifting her dress, revealing her body. The dress was fragile, soft like silk against the tips of your fingers. But as she started sighing out of pleasure, your mind started wondering.

You started thinking about what was going on in the room next door. What were they doing. How passionate they were kissing, how her every touch burned on his skin, how he moaned out as she kissed his clavicle. How he nibbled her neck leaving small traces of his blunt teeth. How she could sense his intoxicating smell, how she went through his velvet white hair, how she stole sensual kisses from him. How her hands went down his pants, how her hands brushed against his abdomen, how she was feeling his tense muscles. And how he grabbed her hips as she curved her back, how he took her into his arms and pulled her even closer although seemingly impossible. How their passion burned so bright, like a flame, corrupting them both.

“Sire?”, the girl on top of you whispered. You blinked a few times, remembering where you were. You growled, angry at yourself. She sat next to you, waiting in silence as you started thinking out this situation.  
You couldn’t do this. There was no way you could do this. To her, nor to yourself. And it was all Dave’s fault. For making you feel like shit, for acting as if trying to hurt an innocent girl. This wasn’t right. You… He paid her… You don’t know how much but girls that are willing to spend the night with a troll must cost a fortune.  
Then again, it was a fucking retarded idea. And you weren’t obligated to do anything if you didn’t want to.

“I’m sorry, he’s a fucking idiot… I’m a fucking idiot. I’m sorry for dragging you into this shit. It has nothing to do with you”, you stood up and started fixing your clothes which were a bit out of place. You took the cloak off of the bed and put it on again. The pin opened while you were kissing the girl. You sigh and try to avoid her stare. But she isn’t mad. She doesn’t seem mad. She only smiled.

“Flushed feelings are a dangerous thing, even more so than black feelings for somebody”, she murmured, her voice gentle.

“I don’t blame you, nor do I blame him. If you want to leave, you can, I won’t stop you”, she laughed, then straightened her back, pointed her finger at you.

“But!” you were afraid to move a muscle the way she was suddenly glaring at you.

“The mistress downstairs will ask you if you were satisfied. You need to confirm that! I don’t want to lose my job because of something this dumb”, she chuckled.  
You nodded, gave her a smile before reaching to the door.  
You swiftly move down to the lobby, give the key back to the lady behind the port, thank her, then ask if it would be okay to just wait in the living room. When she confirmed, you proceeded to lay on the couch, look at the dark windows. Your eyes were slowly getting heavier, and after some time, you finally got back to sleep.


	9. Stand with poise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a lot of stuff I needed to take care. Maily school.  
> So I didn't write in a long time, almost a month!  
> But that doesn't mean I gave up.  
> I also had a bad writers block. The beginning of the chapter really brought me troubles.
> 
> Sorry for that guys. Hope you like the new chapter :)

You got up early. The sun didn’t even rise. It was probably because you slept all day yesterday, but there was also an unsettling feeling something else was wrong. You don’t remember, but you think your dreams weren’t very subtle that night. You woke up in cold sweat, your shirt stained with wet marks. You grumbled, dragging your hand over your face, wiping off the drops. You took a deep breath through your nose, trying to remember where you are. While images of last night started coming back to you, you got up, and proceeded to find a bathroom. It didn’t take you long.  
After you were all done, cleaned yourself and noticed the dark eye bags, you decided to go outside, breathe in some fresh air, check on the horses. You wonder is Dave already up, did he even get some sleep tonight. But when you started to think about him, it wasn’t easy for you. You felt your stomach twisting, and it usually didn’t do that. So you shook your head, got to the horses.

They were calm, not asleep but quiet. You came to John’s horse, pet its muzzle. He blew out a warm breath of air through its nose. You should let them out to the pasture, or take them for a walk near the building, so Dave can still find you. It would also give you some time to clear your thoughts and calm down, your heart was still beating rapidly.  
You opened the gate to John’s horse, put the blanket over his back, then the saddle on top of the blanket. You secured the belt around its stomach, careful not to hurt the animal. Putting the reins on was trickier, the horse started neighing and stepping backwards, avoiding your hands. You started cursing, not very loud, but the horse sensed your anger. Its pupils dilated, it started rumbling its feet against the stone ground.  
Eventually, it did calm down, after you put a hand on its cheek, gently shushing it. You closed the door behind you, getting to Dave’s horse.  
Lil’ Cal wasn’t too happy to see you. He was nervous because Dave wasn’t nearby. It wasn’t scared as John’s horse, it was actually aggressive, you needed to be careful not to anger it. One wrong move and its hind legs will fly to your head. The saddle was next to him, hanging on a hook on the right side of the cage, as well as the blanket. You put the blanket over him first, he wasn’t too rebellious about that. The saddle was trickier, though. He kept stepping backward, stomping his feet against the ground. A few times the legs came flying towards you, so you needed to move, putting the saddle up as a shield. A few sharp words directed at the horse calmed it down enough for you to put the saddle up, as well as the reins. You took Lil’ Cal out, bringing him to the doors of the stables. John’s horse followed.  
As you stepped outside, the sun started rising. The warm breath exhaled by the animals lighted up under the sunrays. The cold wind blew through the forest around you, making you shiver as it rustled your messy raven hair. Birds started appearing in the trees, filling the air with soft music. The horses went through the grass, their hooves getting covered with drops of morning dew.  
You took the reins of both horses. There should be a pasture right behind the stables, a small one but enough for them to roam around. You opened the wooden doors of the fence and let in the horses which soon proceeded to start eating the green grass. You sat on the chair behind the building leaning on the wall. It was calming, looking at the peaceful horses slowly moving around the pasture while the birds were chirping above you.

About half an hour later, you heard someone’s footsteps approaching the fence. You weren’t alarmed, you recognized them. But they brought back memories from last night and what you went through. You suddenly felt a flow of warmth overcome you. It wasn’t pleasant, it was burning you from the inside. Anger mixed with embarrassment.

“There you are Vantas. I see you got the horses out”, Dave leaned onto the fence and looked at the animals. He seemed so normal. As though everything that happened last night was normal. As if he did this all the time. You rolled your eyes at his relaxed stance.

“Snarky as always. I don’t know why I’m surprised”, Dave snickered and entered. You got up, fixing your clothes. Lil’ Cal came closer to greet his owner, brushing his muzzle against Dave’s hand. Dave petted the horse.

“Should we get on our way Sire?” you asked, getting to John’s horse, tapping it on the side to make it acknowledge you.

“Sire? Where’s the usual name calling?” Dave looked up at you.

“I don’t know what you’re into Strider, but if you want, I can get back to calling you an asshole”, you got up the horse and looked down at Dave, who opened the gate to let Lil’ Cal out, then held it for you too.

“Fetishes are a more private matter Vantas, we’re not there yet”, he smirked, got on his horse. You tipped your horse so it would approach Lil’ Cal and then continue to ride next to it.

Most of the ride you were quiet, you avoided conversation, but you tried not to show it. If Dave started to talk about something, you joined in, keeping the talk up. Although you aggressively avoided discussing last night. Dave brought it up once, but you ignored him. You really weren’t up for it right now. You’ll probably yell at him later, but today, you’re just tired. And you’ll probably be tired tomorrow too. Maybe you’ll never talk about what happened yesterday. If that means avoiding talking about your ‘feelings’. Fuck. Fuck you. Fuck the feelings. Fuck everything. Fuck fuck fuck fuckidy fuck. You’ll need to say fuck a few times more during the day. Maybe even aloud. Talk to Kankri about it, but leave Dave out of it.

***

“They’re gaining on us!” a female voice yelled out. Her long dark hair flew through the air. The beast she was riding was breathing heavily, almost flying through the dense forest as they tried to escape whatever was chasing them. She was in her saddle, crouching down so she could hold herself tighter against the animal.

As the giant beast turned sharply right, a black arrow flied right in front of her nose. If they turned just a second earlier, it would’ve hit her. And she knew that it would be the end of her if it did. The arrow that just hit one of the nearby trees was covered in dark mucus. At least it looked like mucus. As far as she knew, it was venom extracted from some of the horrorterrors, gathered from their bodies. If her skin got in contact with it, she would have heavy burns, as well as toxins travelling in her body, infecting her completely. She would be dead in a matter of minutes. But she isn’t. And she won’t let them kill her so easily.  
She turned in her saddle, cursing to herself and taking the bow from her back. She skillfully grabbed one of the arrows from her quiver, the tip of it covered in poison as well, and guided with strong magic so it would hit the enemy if she missed by a couple of feet. Although she never missed. It was just a matter of precaution. If she miraculously did miss, the arrow would still hit the target. As she locked her eyes on the creature that was chasing her, she let out a long breath, making herself concentrate in this situation. She released the arrow which then flew through the trees, almost twice as fast as the arrow that was aimed at her.  
The creature that was chasing her was a relatively small being. Its silhouette resembling that of a child, or a very skinny human. A person would think it isn’t dangerous, but its long claws, small white eyes without pupils, large mouth covered in long black teeth, begged to differ. It was covered with black ooze, like the horrorterrors, but this one wasn’t acidulous, so it wouldn’t hurt her if she would to touch it. There were myths and stories about these creatures. Some say they are minions created to escort horrorterrors to their victims, or to feed the large monsters by hunting fish from the deep. But there are stories that they are in fact normal humans, turned to immortal monsters with black magic. Well, they might be, she thought. But they aren’t immortal. She smiled, as the arrow she fired hit the creatures body, flying through it to the other side, leaving behind a huge hole from the impact.  
Since it was running, the creature stumbled, tripped over a low branch and fell hard on its head. She saw the dark blood dripping from the large fracture in its skull. The wound was large, revealed the flesh and ripped veins in its, now deformed, face. It wasn’t the arrow that killed it, even if it would, since it flew right through its heart, but the fall. She was proud of herself, didn’t look away from the detesting body of the dead monster. She was used to hunting, she was used to looking at dead bodies bloodied from her arrows.  
Behind the broken body, she noticed others approaching. Fast. There was no time to lose. She needed to get out of the forest, to the clearing not far ahead. There she would find help from her knights. Their dragons could not land between the dense trees. They could easily hurt her, not only her enemies. But there was another problem.

“Jade!!! Are you okay?!” she heard a worried voice behind her. A figure riding a strong, brown horse jumped out of the bushes. He was now covered with branches and leaves, but it didn’t matter, he was used to riding through terrain like this. He was wearing a helmet, so Jade couldn’t see his face. Only his green eyes hidden behind a pair of rectangular glasses.

“I’m fine! Although he isn’t!”, she chuckled, looking at the direction of the dead body and smirking.

“You can’t vanish like that!”

“Vanish?! Me?! You were the one who decided to take a look at what was following us!” she snapped, giving him an angry look as he started to gain on her.

“Watch out!!!” he warned her. She immediately ducked, her beast crouching down too.  
He took out the crossbow that was hanging on a belt around his hips, pointed it in Jade’s direction, slightly above her head, and shot. The arrow flew through the air like a bullet, hitting another monster right in the center of its forehead as it tried to jump towards Jade. It screamed in pain and fell on the ground. Jade looked back, her face having a terrified expression. She didn’t see it coming. She wasn’t concentrating on the enemy as much as defying her brother. A mistake. Fortunately, he kept his head in the game.

“Thanks…”, she let out silently, and turned to the front again.

“Hey! Are you sure Bec is going in the right direction?” he asked her. She smirked, forgetting about what just happened. She petted the large beast she was riding, sliding through its long soft fur.

“Are you doubting the best direwolf on the planet, Jake?”

“No… But how can he…?”

“An extraordinary sense of smell, silly. You think the ones of dogs are good? They can’t even compare to him”, she interrupted him. Bec barked, giving her a sign of agreement.

“Good boy! Now take us out of this jungle!” she commanded.

As they were riding through the forest, the monsters started gaining on them. In a few situations they came so close, they started grabbing the legs of Jake’s horse. He quickly shot them down but not before they could make damage. The horse was already exhausted, it can’t run much further with those scratches on its hind legs. And Jake knew that.  
As Bec reached a fallen tree and jumped over it, Jake’s horse stopped, neighed aggressively and got on its hind legs, protesting the big jump. Going around the tree would cost them their life, the monsters would get dangerously close.

“Jake! Come on! You need to get your damn horse over it!” Jade yelled. She looked furious, raising her voice at him. Bec turned around, taking deep breaths of air as he looked at Jake with an almost concerned expression.

“The damned horse won’t go over it!”

“We don’t have time!” Jade saw the monsters that were now only a few meters away from him. Jake grabbed his stuff that were hanging over the saddle, took his crossbow into his hands and jumped of the horse, landing on top of the tree. He turned to the monsters, aiming at their heads.

“You idiot! You can’t take them all down! I’ll shoot, you run!” she took her bow out, quickly grabbing the arrows.

Jake turned away, sprinting to her and trying not to stumble down. But looking ahead of himself, and trying not to run into low twigs, was hard while trying to look at his feet and avoid any hidden rocks or branches. Jade was shooting down the monsters, one by one. She was making good progress and their numbers quickly dropped down. But the inevitable happened shortly after. As she reached for another arrow, she realized, there aren’t any more. She cursed to herself and turned to her brother that was still not close enough to reach her before the creatures caught up with him. They were already attacking the horse, biting away its flesh as the horse cried out in agony. Blood spurted around it, creating small creeks over the forest floor, covering the dead leaves. The noise coming from the horse echoed through the forest, its high pitched screams tearing Jade’s heart apart. She was fond of it, as well as Jake. More monsters attacked it, gnawing at its muscles, tearing the skin with their claws, butchering it, but not killing it.  
Jake stopped, he froze. He couldn’t run. He wanted to, but every inch of his body wanted to turn around, wanted to see what was going on.

“Jake!!! Run! Get out of there! Run!!!” but he didn’t listen. The monsters were only a few feet away now, they already leaned and crouched down for a jump, aiming right at Jake. They opened up their hands, showing the long black claws from which the black ooze was dripping. Jake’s pupils dilated. He knew what was coming for him, and he didn’t have enough time to grab his small dagger out of his boot. Not that it would matter anyways, there was no way he could defend himself with a 10-inch blade.

“Jake!!!” Jade’s eyes filled up with tears.

A flash surrounded Jake’s body. Like lightning it started cutting through the air. The monsters fell, one by one, their heads stumbled next to their bodies, started covering the ground with dark blood. Another flash appeared, from the opposite side of the first one. It started dancing through the air, splitting the creatures’ bodies in halves.  
Jade shook her head, watched at the strikes of light with awe. But her amazement didn’t last long, it was replaced with anger.

“There’s too many of them! Get on your horses and run!” she whistled, calling for the two horses that were waiting nearby. One of them white as snow, the other smaller, spotted with grey marks across its body, but both incredibly fast, faster than Jake’s horse. The two flashes stopped, revealed two human bodies. The smaller one, and evidently younger, put his long sword into its scabbard and jumped on the spotted horse. He took the reins into his hands and swung them, tipping the horse at the same time. The animal jumped forward, reaching Jade in a matter of seconds. The other man got up the other horse, extended his arm in Jake’s direction while grabbing the rein with his other hand. Jake gave him a quick look, then took the arm and let him pull him up the horse. He sat behind the white-haired prince, grabbing him tightly around his waist.

“Come on!!!” Jade made Bec turn and face his original direction. The direwolf barked, giving a signal to others to start riding again.

Jade could now see the clearing. It wasn’t far away. The light behind the furthest trees got brighter. She spotted the fresh, green grass, the mountains surrounding the valley. She could also hear the flapping of wings above her. The dragons were close, and they were eager to attack. Just a little bit longer, she thought. And they’ll be saved.  
The edge of the forest was so close. She closed her eyes, she trusted Bec to avoid the trees. She took a deep breath, calming herself down, readying herself for the battle she’ll need to fight on the meadow. She didn’t have any more arrows, but she had another option in her sleeve. One she was not confident in. Then again, she was powerful, and she was capable of defeating the monsters all by herself. If only she could control her powers completely.  
She felt a pleasing warmth on her bare arms. She opened her eyes only to be blinded by the bright sunlight. A wide smile appeared across her face. She looked back, noticing the two horses carrying her brother and the two other knights. Her smile quickly faded as she realized the monsters were right behind them, reaching with their claws at the legs of the animals.

A loud scream pierced through the air. Shadows started covering the valley, protecting Jade’s eyes from the sun. She distinguished the bodies of the dragons, and could name every single one just by their shape. She laughed, giving the carapacians a wide grin. They had no chance of winning now, they are going to be obliterated in fire.  
As the monsters reached the light, she immediately saw a change in their behavior. The sun hurt them, especially their sensitive eyes. Although that won’t stop them, their bloodlust is too great. They also need to follow their orders, which is probably to destroy all the queens and kings, as well as princesses and princes.  
The dragons landed in front of them, their giant bodies creating barriers between the royal blood, and the carapacians. They spread their wings, showing their full size, trying to scare them off into the forest. But they all knew better. If they let the monsters live, they will get dangerously close to the castle, and nobody could afford to risk something like that. Jade turned around. The mountains were vaguely familiar, she barely resembles them from when she was little. The thing she did remember vividly was the large castle gleaming in the afternoon sun. Its golden details and statues reflected the rays of sunlight, making the castle appear as if it was shining on its own. In the distance, above it, there was something moving over the boulders. Other dragons, Jade was sure of it, even though she couldn’t see much. There were at least three of them, if not more. They didn’t really need their help, but a few dragons more wouldn’t be a bad thing.  
A purple dragon roared towards the monsters. It spread its wings wider, as wide as it could. The wings it had weren’t very big, they were meant for gliding through the air, it couldn’t use it to stay up a long time. Actually, the dragon wasn’t meant for the air at all, and the primary function of its wings was using them as flippers, swimming through the ocean like a giant stingray. All over its body it had fins, the dorsal one going all the way across its spine, only having a gap at the shoulders, where the saddle was located. The end of its tail was a flipper, much like the ones possessed by sharks. On its feet were long webbed fingers decorated with short claws. The claws were roughly the size of a dagger, but small in relation to the dragon’s body. The rider sitting on the elegant and expensive saddle pulled the reins, trying to get the dragon to settle down.

“Wow Eridan, you’re not even capable of controlling a stupid gecko you call a dragon”, the rider sitting on the dragon next to the purple one spoke. Eridan turned to him, scoffed and gave him an annoyed, arrogant look.

“Sol don’t even get me started on your pathetic excuse for a dragon.”

The yellow dragon, on which the other rider was sitting on, looked at Eridan, then at his dragon, and growled, showing his long canines. His mouth was filled with large, sharp teeth which enabled him to close his jaw completely. Two pairs of eyes squinted, showing the rage of the dragon.

“You fucking assholes don’t even give a motherfucking piece of shit for any dumbass in this retarded world. You think you’re so fucking amazing well you can suck my…”

“Is that an invitation?” the purple dragon turned its head to the yellow one. He was much bigger, almost three times the height of the lowblooded dragon. Eridan pulled on the reins as hard as he could, trying to get his dragon to listen to him, and to behave. But he knew he couldn’t do much.

“Would you mind concentrating on the task, you fish-eating disgrace for the seadweller clans?” he yelled out, growling and showing his shark-like teeth as he pushed his heels deep into the dragon’s shoulders.  
Since they were not looking at the monsters, and started bickering with each other, the carapacians saw an opportunity to breach the wall created by the dragons, and start the chase for the princes and the princess once again. Bec got down, crouching and readying himself for the attack, while Jade cursed to herself, grabbing her bow and jumping off the direwolf. She took ahold of one end of the bow, squeezed the wood in her hands as tightly as she could, and lowered her stance, preparing for the possible impact from the monsters. Sollux and Eridan will keep at it for some time before realizing the monsters came around them. This isn’t even their first time of doing such a thing. It’s becoming a regular occurrence, and Jade was getting tired of it. If they continue to do so, she’s going to fire them. She doesn’t even care if Sollux isn’t in her service. Enough is enough.  
As the monster got only a few meters away from her, a burst of air appeared around her, and a shadow provided her with coverage from the sun. She looked up, smiled and exhaled out of relief. Another dragon, smaller than the yellow one, but larger than Bec, landed right in front of her, shielding her from the threat. It was covered with short fur, unlike other dragons that had hard scales. Across its spine there was a line of longer fur, creating something similar to a mane. The body of the dragon was compact and muscular. It had shorter legs up front, with fingers decorated with small claws. Its hind legs were a bit longer, putting the gravitational center of the animal up front. They were different than the front legs, they had hooves at the ends, resembled those of a cow. The whole body looked like that of a bull. Especially considering its huge horns. Its wings resembled that of a moth, or a fly - something in-between. It spread it out to make itself look bigger, growling at the monsters and showing its huge front fangs. The long tail was whipping through the air, almost hitting Bec. The rider on the dragon was holding a giant lance, pointing it to one of the creatures. He was a thin knight, smaller than others. But its back was decorated with a pair of large see-through wings filled with small, brown capillaries.  
Jade was happy to see him. Unlike the two other knights, he was genuinely nice. And did his job. He soon scared the monsters away, killing some of them to show them how he should not be messed with. The dark blood covered his weapon, and he was obviously disgusted by it, but happy he got rid or the monsters and helped out Jade. The princes had taken out their swords, but only got to injure and kill a few of the monsters before the other two knights came to their senses and decided to help. The carapacians fled the battle, running back into the forest. Jade wasn’t completely sure if letting them go was a good idea, but she was pleased they finally got rid of them.

She put her bow back onto her back, looked at the sky and noticed two approaching dragons. She recognized them as the knights serving Jane. The bigger of the two gently landed on the ground, first setting his hind legs on the ground, then slowly touching it with his front legs too. The chains around his legs clattered as the vibration of the landing struck them. The dragon lowered his head towards Jade, gleaming at her with his purple irises hidden behind a skull. They glowed in the shadow of the eye sockets. Kurloz has always frightened Jade. It was maybe because of his black and purple color scheme combined with bone parts. It reminded her a lot of horrorterrors. That is why she always felt uneasy beside him. As well as beside his rider. Even though Gamzee never speaks out of place, and is generally very nice to her, she feels like there is a dark side to him, a side she is curious about, but also doesn’t want to know about.

“Hey, I saw those little motherfuckers leave this mesmerizing site of battle. You all aren’t fucking hurt, are you? My Lady?” Gamzee jumped off the dragon and approached Jade, who was forcing a smile.

“I am fine. You should check on the Kings.” He bowed, then left to check on her brother.  
The other dragon landed, nervously looking around. His rider jumped off, hit the ground with a loud impact. He patted the dragon gently on the side and proceeded to join Jade, to inspect the situation.

“We have not arrived too late, My Lady?”

“No Equius, you arrived just in time. You couldn’t have gotten rid of the carapacians in the forest even if you arrived a few minutes earlier. The woods here are much too thick for higher-blooded dragons”, she explained, putting her hands on her hips as she watched Gamzee check on everyone. Right in front of her, the winged knight jumped of the brown dragon. He almost stumbled, so the dragon swiftly put his front leg up so he could hold himself onto it. Jade sighed. Tavros always made her worry with his wooden leg. Especially when on the ground. Jake mostly gives him jobs that don’t require him to walk around much. He usually serves as an escort to him to town. But now, travelling so far and running into obstacles and monsters, he needs to get down more. When possible, he grabs his crutches out of his bag. Although that happens rarely, he likes to act though.

“Are you, um, okay, My Lady?” he asks, turning her head towards her, and carefully walking on the grassy ground.

“Thanks to you, yes!”, she chuckles, giving him a genuine smile. She really was grateful he was in her brother’s service. Her and Dirk’s knight always fight, and she fears her assumptions about them are true.  
Tavros smiles and scratches the back of his head. He wanted to oppose her, say something in the lines of: I didn’t do anything, Rufioh did, but he remembered how Jade told him to have more confidence in himself. And he did, in fact, save her. A dragon is nothing without his rider, as well as the rider is nothing without his dragon. So the credit is rightfully his. As well as Rufioh’s.

“Tavros! Brother! I haven’t seen you in such a long time! You’ve grown! And man, your wings are motherfucking amazing! Tell me you’ve seen your wings, cause they’re there. And looking fucking magnificent”, Gamzee rushed to Tavros, giving him a hug then continuing to talk to him excitedly. It’s been years since they’ve seen each other, but their friendship is still as strong. Back then, Tavros was so much smaller than Gamzee. He’s aging quite quickly. Even his dragon.

“Oh! Hey, uh, Gamzee! Long time no see!” color struck into his cheeks and his wings fluttered in quick motions.

“Oh man! Do I have stories to tell you!” he grabbed him around his shoulders with his one hand and turned him around, started walking towards Kurloz. Tavros followed him, tripping on small lumps of grass. Gamzee raised his voice, laughing and talking about all the stuff Tavros missed. Even though Tavros obviously seemed overwhelmed with all that noise and excitement, he seemed happy, laughing along with him.

As they walked away, Jade noticed the two horses coming towards her. On one there was a young man. His characteristic white hair put him right into the Lalonde and Strider bloodline. But unlike the Strider’s he was skinnier, his muscles not as developed. He was also incredibly pale compared to them, freckles covering his nose and cheeks, as well as most of his shoulders. He was wearing an armor, showing the status of a knight. The emblem on his chest showed that he was in Dirk’s service. Another thing that made him a definite member of the bloodline were the dark orange eyes, resembling a sunset on a clear day. He gave Jade a small smile, only with the corners of his lips. She responded, feeling her cheeks get warm.  
On the other horse there was the well-known King of Heart, sternly looking in the direction of the castle, hiding his eyes under a pair of triangular shades. His white hair swirled on the wind. He was tall, taller than her brother. His strong muscles and well-formed body was hidden underneath layers of dirty pink clothes. The revealed parts of his body showed a darker skin, smooth to the touch, seemingly gentle and rough at the same time.  
The smaller male sitting behind him looked flustered, hiding his face from Jade’s view. He held Dirk around his torso, his hands nervously shivering. He was trying to adjust himself, but the position was very uncomfortable to him. Out of various reasons. He was smaller than Dirk, only slightly. One couldn’t notice it if they didn’t stand next to each other. He was wearing a dark green outfit, with leather boots reaching to his knees. Around his waist there was a belt to which two crossbows were attached, one on each side. He had a small quiver on his back, fastened with two belts around his arms. It was filled with round arrows, specially designed for his crossbow.  
When he finally turned his head towards Jade, just to check if she was still looking at him, he found her standing right in front of her, her arms on her hips, staring at him with a pleased smile. He rolled his eyes, his cheeks turned into a darker color.  
“What?” he asked.

“My Lady, with all due respect, Queen Jane is expecting you. For quite some time now”, Equius noted her.

“Yes, of course! You can send her the message that we’ll arrive in a couple of hours, right in time for dinner”, Jade smiled, turned to Bec and put one leg up, preparing herself to get in the saddle. Equius bowed, turning to get on his dragon and flying away to the castle, back to his queen. Everyone else was ready for departure. Tavros was on Rufioh’s back, glaring at Gamzee who was explaining to him everything that he should see while he’s in the kingdom. She heard how he was pointing out the crystal clear rivers, crimson flowers on wide meadows, colorful birds lightning up the whole forest with their energetic songs. As she tapped Bec to head to the castle, she looked at the two dragons still growling at each other. Their sharp teeth glistening on the sun as they let out deep warning sounds to each other. The tension was high between them, and Jade was very unhappy about this.  
Eridan noticed, pulled the reins as hard as he could, curling his dragon’s neck into a loop. This position obviously hurt the beast as it started yelping and lowering its head towards the ground, trying to find a more suitable position. The reins dug deep into its cheeks as the toxic saliva covered the ropes. The other dragon stood still, looking at the one next to him. There was fear in its eyes which were wide open and unable to look away from the cruel sight. Sollux cleared his throat, starring into the distance behind him. He too couldn’t watch the poor dragon suffering. Even though he stated multiple times how he wanted to see them both, Eridan and his dragon, dead in a ditch.

“My Lady, it is not my fault…”

“We shall talk about this later”, she replied sharply to Eridan’s attempt to justify his fight with Sollux.  
She had no time, nor will, to deal with it now.


	10. Respect Others

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After a month or so of being absent due to a large amount of schoolwork, I have finally managed to finish up the next chapter. I also went through a pretty bad artblock (writingblock??), so I lost all my motivation and inspiration for a period of time.  
> Anyways, comments are hiiighly appreciated (I love getting feedback), and my English isn't perfect since it's my second language (I was finishing this up late in the evening so I was tired and probably overlooked a lot of my mistakes).  
> My tumbrl is [sintarija](http://sintarija.tumblr.com/) and you can find all the character designs I did till now in the tag "Dragonriderstuck".  
> Hope you like this one! :)

Nearly two weeks have passed from the incident with Strider, and you slowly started to think about it less and less. It was stressful for you at the beginning. You would avoid him if you could, first trying to excuse yourself by saying Kankri’s not feeling well. That only made Kanaya start questioning you about what was wrong with him and is she able to help in any way. And that led Feferi in, who wanted to aid him with her life powers. So you dropped the act and started acting normal again. You and Dave needed some time to get back to how you were before his little trip to the brothel. You noticed he might have even been sorry at one point, for making you go through something you didn’t want, but he wasn’t saying anything about it. You both just decided to forget the whole thing.

It was a quiet afternoon. You were sitting in the living room, your legs stretched out on the small leg rest, an old book in your hand. Next to you, on a sofa, Kanaya was sitting while elegantly crossing her long legs. She was wearing a long emerald-colored dress with traces of gold lace over it. Her exposed cleavage was mostly covered with a giant golden necklace decorated with big vivid-green crystals. Her white skin shined beneath the rays of warm sunlight. She was holding a little black book in her hands, the text was small, so you couldn’t read it even with your good eyesight. Left of the sofa, by the window, there was an antique desk. In the chair in front of it, Rose was sitting and writing in a leather journal. Her feather scratching over the paper was the only sound heard in the room except the turning of pages. Her long, dark dress dragged on the floor as she moved her feet every now and then. Around her neck there was a purple chocker made of jewels. It was covering up her neck where it was not covered with her short hair.  
Every now and then you would notice Rose look at Kanaya, or Kanaya look at Rose. It was a weird stare, not quick, but long lasting, like they absorbed each other’s presence, taking in the energy and just bathing in it. There was something about them. They would never look at one another in the same time, but they both knew they were exchanging glances. You felt there was something between them. Their relationship couldn’t have been platonic friendship, it was much more than that. Could it be? That they were… moirails.  
Not impossible. You’ve seen signs of it in their behavior. But it’ll take time to draw a certain and real conclusion from all the evidence you acquire.  
You would be sitting there almost every day for hours, enjoying their company and only seeing Dave when Jane would organize some kind of trips to town, or when you had meals together. The tension between you two was still present, but you tried to look past it. Recently you’ve started talking to him more, even walking around the castle, going out hunting with him. And you liked that, you started to enjoy his presence again.

“…and they have been approaching the castle rapidly, my Lady. There have been sightings as near as West Riverdale.”

Your sensitive hearing started picking up voices nearby. They were in the hallway, and you were the closest to the door of the living room, so you had no problem with keeping up with the conversation. You focused your view on the book, but your ears twitched as they tried to adjust in a position from which they could hear best. This was Equius. You wonder what is he doing here.

“We can only double the patrols in that area, but we do not own enough guards to take any more action.”

This is Jane’s voice, you’re sure of it. She’s trying to keep her voice down as much as possible.  
What are they talking about? A threat? You flip a page since you haven’t in a while. You’re sure neither of the women in the room would actually notice you haven’t been reading, but you try to keep the disguise anyway, just in case.

“My Lady, what if the knights took on the task of getting rid of the horrorterrors?”

You shiver at their mention. Horrorterrors? So this is what is going on? You saw the map of the kingdom, and you remember the name of Riverdale. It is a larger city located on the edge of this county, three hundred miles away from the capital, but closer than they ever reached before. If they continue to invade into the land, they might reach the castle in matter of months. And in great numbers.  
Your heart starts racing as you picture everything that may happen if that does in fact come true.

“I cannot risk losing knights! They need to protect my family. If we die out, we will bring power to the enemy, they will attack more easily, they will spread more quickly. We cannot risk to lose any of us. Especially because of our abilities!”

You have heard tales about royalty having special abilities, one of the reasons they are at power. Common people have no control over any kind of energy or entity, while royalty can affect different aspects. This is the thing they have in common with trolls. But common people have been known to take part in witchcraft, which led them to sometimes have even greater powers as royalty.

“Do you have any proposition in what we should do?”  
A pause. She let out a sigh.

“I shall send a letter to the neighboring kingdoms, asking for help. They should respond quickly and take action if they are wise enough. But I am tired today Equius, I might do it later in the evening.”

As she finished the sentence you heard footsteps backing away, others coming forward. The door knob turned as Jane came in the room. Unlike Rose and Kanaya, she was wearing a short green dress with bronze details. She tied a red scarf with white dots around her head, keeping the hair out of her eyes and nicely framing her head. Her characteristic red classes were on top of her nose bridge, trying to hide the dark eye bags. She really did look tired now that you look at her more closely. She has been working hard to keep you all entertained, managing her kingdom along the way. And then there’s the risk of losing everybody she loves because of the enemy that is rapidly approaching her kingdom. It is not easy for her, and it is even harder to keep it all together while hiding it from her family. You bet she didn’t tell John, she wouldn’t like to burden him.

“I hope I am not intruding, but the lunch is served in the dining room. I would like you all to accompany us downstairs”, she said. Rose nodded, put the feather back into the ink bottle. She turned to Kanaya and got up.

“Thank you Jane, I always forget how time flies when I tend to my journal”, Rose passed next to Kanaya who got up and started following her queen. You got up as well, closing your romance book and putting a small bookmark on the top of the page you were just finishing up. You laid the book down on the coffee table in front of you, then went towards the door. You held it open for the ladies and waited for them to exit the room, then you left yourself. You put your hands behind your back, maintaining a formal pose. Kanaya was right next to you, holding her hands in front of herself, intertwining her fingers.

“Is the book you are reading interesting? I find it fascinating how much you read in your free time”, she smiled, but kept her gaze to the front. You mimicked her walk, trying to slow your pace. It was kind of frustrating to walk so slowly to get lunch. You were starving.

“Well, between talking to my dragon and reading, I choose the latter.” She chuckled at that remark.

“Though you and your dragon are going along really well. You do bicker a lot, but I feel a strong connection between you two.” You scoff.

“You have only known us for a month or so. How could you be so sure?”  
She looked at you, but didn’t move her head. She pointed her nose slightly upward, enjoying how you didn’t know what she is talking about.

“Porrim and I exchange thoughts telepathically, we do not need to speak to know what we are thinking. We also have the ability to feel other’s relationships”, she smirked and looked at you.

“Feel?” you ask her, trying not to think about how she might just see right through you.

“Well, not feel. But we do have a very good intuition”, she chuckled. You laughed along.

As you reached the dining hall, you noticed how everybody was already there and beginning to grab food on their plates. The knights were in their casual clothes. If you could call that casual. You were practically always underdressed when hanging out with the rest of them. Feferi always enchanted everyone with her dresses full of vibrant colors, her long hair braided or put into what seemed to be messy buns. Her neck always glistened from all the necklaces she wore, her wrists as well. Nepeta, on the other hand, rarely wore dresses or skirts. She usually wore simple clothes for hunting. But the shirts were very elegant and expensive-looking. The leather boots and jackets fit her perfectly, especially her personality. Equius and Gamzee always dressed up to the occasion, occasion being the everyday life at the castle. Even though they both looked stunning in their regular outfits, Gamzee would get sauce or other food all over himself at the end of the meals, which made Equius frustrated. But there was some other emotions going on there which you couldn’t quite make out. At first you thought Equius might be having some flushed feelings for the highblood, but then again, he seemed disgusted by him most of the time. The thing you were sure of noticing, and was going on, was Nepeta and Equius. They were definitely pale for each other. You and Kanaya started discussing in a few days ago, monitoring their behavior. As it turns out, those two started to be inseparable. Even now they sat next to each other, she’s telling some story while wildly expressing herself with hand movements, he’s trying to calm her down. Kanaya and you look at each other with a smirk.

“So how did you all spend your afternoon?” Roxy asked while taking a bottle of wine and pouring it into her glass. She was sticking out her tongue as she filled the glass to the very edge.

“Hey Rose, want some?” she asked and took her glass without waiting for her response. Kanaya took out Rose’s chair so she could sit down, then sat next to her. You sat next to Gamzee again. He was usually very obnoxious, but then again there was some kind of sweetness and kindness that appealed to you.

“I have been writing as usual, while Kanaya has been reading”, Rose proceeded to take some mashed potatoes onto her plate.

“You always write in that dumb journal. You should hang out with us some more. John and I go horseback riding every day!” Rose chuckled, and gave John a smirk. He got all flustered, but said nothing, while Rose covered her mouth with her hand as her grin got wider.

“Dear sister, we spend so much time together at home. And frankly, I am more of an introvert, unlike you. I probably have as much fun with my writing as you have with going outside”, she explained, taking a bite of her meal. Roxy pouted, rolled her eyes and took a big sip of wine.

“Cousin, where have you spent your afternoon? Have you been going out with my sister and John?” Rose asked, taking the glass of wine Roxy filled for her. Dave laughed.

“While I would be happy to make a fool of John in front of Roxy and telling her his childhood stories, I have actually decided to stay at the castle. Nepeta and I have been practicing sword fighting today.”  
You flinch. You are aware that Dave is excellent at sword-fighting, but you didn’t know he had sessions with Nepeta. She hasn’t said anything either, at least not yet. As you turned your head to look at her, a wide smile appeared on her face.

“Yeah! Dave has some pawesome tricks up his sleeve! But I managed to get him a few times”, she smirked. Equius looked at her with an unsatisfied expression.

“Nepeta! You should not endanger the prince! You should strive to protect him!”

“Relax you big sweaty grub! I got everything under control”, she said proudly.

“I just got a few scratches. She’s got some sharp claws”, Dave explained, then started playing with a knife that was until recently lying next to his plate.

“Nepeta’s in top shape for a knight. Unlike somebody else that uses most of his time to read romance novels.” You frown, coughing to clear your throat before giving him a wide spectrum of all types of insults.

“Dave’s right, Karkat! You should go join us during practice!” Nepeta almost jumped on the table out of excitement. That caught you of guard and you were left staring at her, then glancing at Strider who grinned at you.

“Fine!” you yelled out. You wanted to spite them, but somehow knew that wouldn’t lead you anywhere. Only now, you had a bigger problem that started swirling around your mind. Dave has been getting awfully close lately, he’s been trying to spend time with you more often, even, like now for an example, pulling you out of your everyday activities to join him. It’s not that you mind, it’s the fact that you don’t. You actually would like to test your skills against him. You actually do like to spend time with him. That’s not good. And you hate how you actually don’t care. You should focus on keeping your relationship at a distance as it is. Not too close, but not being strangers either.

“Good! I believe Nepeta and I will be a much better company than Rose with her boring writing, and Kanaya with her high-cultured, big-worded human social novels talking about some dazzling five-star romance a hundred years ago that brought shame to at least 6 families and their curse that will last for as long as the family line lasts.”

“That was oddly specific, Dave. If not completely true”, Rose smirked, looking at Kanaya, who nodded her head.

“Aside from his exaggeration, you seem to know about a thing or two about ‘The kingdom of your heart’”, Kanaya added to Rose’s comment. Dave’s face took a crimson color as he looked to the other side, trying to ignore Rose’s and Kanaya’s judging glare.

“Shut up”, he said simply. He didn’t want to discuss it now, but you find it amusing how he just told about it without thinking that Rose will draw up a conclusion out of it.

“My professor had stupid reading assignments when I was younger”, he added, grabbing a glass of wine.

“Isn’t that book filled with explicit content?” John asked Rose, confusingly looking at Dave. You looked at him too, a smile revealing your sharp teeth. Dave was looking around, feeling rather anxious, he caught your glimpse, and for a moment, you felt like he had gotten even more red in the face.

“John is right, that book isn’t particularly fitted for a…”

“Moving on!” Dave yelled out, cutting of Rose. He took a fast sip of wine and looked towards the exit of the dining hall.

“Would you excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom”, he said, getting up and wiping his hands. He stormed out of the room, while Jane sighed.

“Well, he always loved to make drama”, she giggled, taking a deep breath.  
Just as you were about to get to your meal again, thinking about grabbing some of that delicious-looking pie at the center of the table, the doors of the main entrance slammed open. A guard with a panicked look on his face was gasping for air as he held the door open.

“My Lady! Dragons have been spotted west of the citadel! They are approaching the castle as we speak!”

You looked at the guard with a shocked expression. Dragons? Dragons mean knights, and knights mean that somebody important is probably arriving. Or that the knights are alone, coming to the capital to find a job. You are not that excited about that thought. It’s not that more knights would propose a threat for your job, but many of them are not friendly. Especially those who don’t think a mutant should deserve to live, let alone work for a king.  
Jane jumped on her feet. She rushed to the guard, not thinking about what the others at the table thought about this situation. She started asking questions about the dragons, who it might be, and what do they want. It didn’t take her long to gather the information she needed. The dragons were personal guards, and she had met them before. The large sea dragon who glided with his fin-like wings, and the yellow dragon with psionic powers. As she was about to vanish from the door, she called Equius and Gamzee to assist her. They stormed out of the dining hall, their shoes echoing through the silent room.

“Who do you think the dragons belong to?”, John asked. Kanaya leaned over to Rose, whispering something to her. You could hear her saying something about the King of Hope. You haven’t heard details about him yet, only that she is allegedly John’s cousin. Or was it Rose’s? You don’t remember. There was some mention about him playing with them when he was young. And you aren’t sure, but was he the one who was taken to the Kingdom of Heart and raised there?

“I guess we’re expecting to see your cousin, John”, Rose smiled. So it was John’s cousin.

“And since I have overheard something about the psionic dragon, I assume we’re expecting Dave’s brother as well”, Kanaya added. You flinched. Dave’s brother? Should you go tell Dave? Are they on good terms? You don’t recall Dave mentioning him often, and even when he did, it would only be just a small detail. You knew he had a brother, you just knew nothing about him. You wanted to talk to Kanaya since she obviously knew something, but there was no time. The dragons were close to the castle, and you couldn’t just pull Kanaya on the side and talk to her about the kings that are soon arriving. Firstly, because everyone would notice. Secondly, because you started to realize how you only cared about finding stuff out about Dave’s brother, not about the other king. Which would be strange. Which _is_ strange. Why have you suddenly become so obsessed about his brother. Is it because you are going to need to talk to Dave about it? Give him a heads up that his brother is arriving? Or is there something else? Something else you don’t really want to think about. Well, since you really _don’t_ want to think about it, you’ll just accept the first option.

“I don’t know about you guys, but I want to see those dragons myself, and inspect the situation. If Jakey and Dirk are coming, they better expect me to be the first one to greet them”, Roxy stood up, taking her glass of wine with her. Nepeta jumped towards her, grabbing her around her waist and arm, so she could support the tipsy queen. They walked out, slightly wobbling, but both giggling. You could see they were excited about the arrival of the kings. You looked around, looking at Kanaya. You hoped she would understand you wanted to ask her about what you should do now, and by the way she nodded at you, you were sure she did. She just chose not to discuss it in front of everyone, so she blinked slowly, signing you just to relax and wait. Rose and John agreed to go join Roxy, so they exited the room. Feferi joined them. She saw you trying to communicate with Kanaya, so she decided to leave you two alone.

“You should go tell Dave”, Kanaya rose up, grabbing parts of her long dress and lifting it so she wouldn’t trip over it as she stepped away from the table. You grunted nervously, but knew she was right.

“Do you think he’ll be anxious about his brother coming over?” you asked while you went around the table, joining Kanaya on the walk towards the door.

“Oh, for sure”, she giggled, “but it’s better to tell him now, than wait for him to discover it himself.” This didn’t make you feel better. You frowned.

As you reached the door, you stopped, parting with Kanaya. She smiled and rose her hand, giving you a slight wave as she disappeared behind a corner of the hallway. You swear she was playing with you, at least a little bit. During these past months it seems like she pressured you into getting close to Dave, trying to fix your relationship with him, making you two a better team. Though, Dave and you were different than her and Rose, you functioned different. There was some kind of tension between you two, from the moment you met, that you just couldn’t understand. Well, it was not really that you couldn’t understand it, you couldn’t figure out what the hell was wrong at all. And it was so frustrating!  
There’s no time to think about it now. You should really go get Dave, he shouldn’t miss the arrival.

***

You weren’t sure where the Knight of Time was. He just disappeared. He wasn’t in the bathroom near the dining room, even though he mentioned he was heading there. Your second option was checking his room, which is not that close by. Guess you’ll be climbing up the stairs. Thanks Strider, for making your life harder. It’s going to be a blast having your brother over. Two Striders in one castle. Magnificent. You can’t fucking wait for that reunion party.  
As you walked down the hallway, you noticed it was unusually quiet. There were no servants rushing up and down, carrying baskets, trays, or who-knows-what. The bright light coming from the outside was the only thing lightning up the dark hall. If it weren’t for the giant windows reaching from the floor to the ceiling, there would hardly be any light source inside the castle. Not that you would mind scarcer light. This brightness is actually really distracting, so you cover your eyes with your arm while walking by those windows.  
The doors to Dave’s room were tightly shut. And locked. As per usual. He always shuts everything when he’s in his room. You’ re aware that everyone has the right for privacy, but you’ve noticed his curtains are pulled over his windows too. And he has a room on the third floor. Nobody would really see anything even if his windows were wide open. You guess he’s just very secretive. And that maybe, just maybe, you’ve been paying attention to his room a little too much. Maybe? Pf! Try ‘for sure’! You have no idea what the fucking hell is wrong with your fucking think pan.  
You knock on the door, wait for an answer, that eventually didn’t come. You stand confused.

“Dave?! Would you open the door?!” you yell out, knocking once again. It surely passed at least twenty minutes since the others went outside, so you should really hurry up with getting him down to the yard. But you weren’t even sure he was inside, so you start doubting he is really here. Still, you want to check.

Without much thinking, you decide to just press your ear against the door, knowing that you’ll be able to hear footsteps, or something, if he was inside. As you focused on the sounds coming from the inside, you realized that there was, in fact, somebody there. You could hear the deep breathing which seemed to be coming from the center of the room. From the bed maybe? Is he asleep then? The shifting of the covers negated your initial thoughts. He was awake, and he was on the bed. You concentrated on the sounds again, even though you probably should have knocked again and called his name. You just wanted to be completely sure he would be able to hear you, so you don’t need to shout like an idiot for nothing.  
What started off as quiet rustling of bed-sheets, developed into heavy breathing. His rhythmical breaths long and smooth. As he exhaled, he let out gentle moans that struggled for air. You couldn’t see what was going on, but trying to illustrate what he is doing in your head made your heart pound. You couldn’t be sure you were right unless you looked inside, but you couldn’t do that. The thought of it alone made you flustered. If you saw him, on the bed like that, moaning out and breathing heavily while touching himself, you’re positive you would flip out. Not only because it would make the situation between you two more complicated, but because the feeling you’re getting now, while thinking about him masturbating on the other end of the door, was more than just second-hand embarrassment. You didn’t want to admit this to yourself, but somehow, the pictures in your head aroused you.

You wanted to stop thinking about it, step away from the door and leave him alone, but you couldn’t move. You were frozen in front of that room, ear glued onto the door, trying to hear more, trying to get a feeling that you are closer to him. You wanted to get inside. You wanted to get close to him. You wanted to see him clutch the covers in his hand, his fingers twitching between the silk linen. His back arching with every moan let out while his white hair falls over the soft pillows. His red eyes burning with lust as he bites his lower lip to keep himself quiet. His heavy breaths escaping his gentle, parted lips which are now covered with small biting marks from his teeth as he tried to force himself to stay quiet. His shirt folding up, exposing his bare chest covered in small drops of sweat; his hips thrusting into thin air, longing for a body to feel against them. With his hand he gently held his bulge, jerking it off. First slowly, easing into the experience, trying to feel as if someone was there with him, diving into his fantasy where his mind was effortlessly wondering. He would moan out the name of the person he was thinking about, their name flowing across his delicate lips. He would smile with that distinctive smirk of his, only barely seen at the corners of his mouth, thinking how stupid it must have been to say the name of the person he was fantasizing about out loud, but becoming more aroused when he realized just how good it was to feel the name brush across his lips. So he moaned again, saying the name louder, enjoying how it sounded like. He moaned again, and again, tightening his grip, speeding up the pace as he leaned back into his imagination.  
You step back, biting your lip till it started bleeding, your sharp teeth getting stained with blood. Your heart was racing, pounding against your ribs. It hurt. You started taking deep breaths, calming yourself down while brushing off a few drops of sweat that appeared on your forehead. This wasn’t so much about you fantasizing about things, there were times when you did so. But this is something different. He is human. He is a prince. You are his guard. What the hell are you thinking? Why are you doing this?

This has gone far enough. You will try to forget about this, and just get Strider the fuck out of his room. You turned around to face the door again, decisively knocking on the door as loud as you could. The hallway echoed with vibrations as the door shook underneath your hand.

“Shit!” you heard a voice from the inside followed by blunt steps. The door knob started rotating. You took your stance, putting your hands behind your back so he wouldn’t notice anything is wrong. Nothing was wrong. Everything is perfectly fine and is going spectacular, thank you for asking.  
The door opened, revealing Dave in a his red shirt with golden vines as a pattern. His glasses on top of his nose as he looked at you with a raised eyebrow and somewhat irritated.

“What do you want?” he snapped before even looking at who is at the door. Something on him seemed off, but you didn’t have enough time to look at him properly yet. As he realized that it was you who came to ask for him, his face got red. He realized how harsh his voice must have sounded. It was probably meant for some poor servant. He coughed, fixing his posture and glancing to the floor for a moment to collect himself.

“Sorry, I was in the middle of something.”  
As you got another look at him, you noticed his shirt was buttoned up wrong. The top button was in the wrong hole. You were sure he left the dining room looking normal. Was he in a hurry to get his shirt buttoned up properly again? So he did take of his shirt? Were you right? You did hear him moving on his bed.  
You shook your head, focusing on why you came here. You’ll dwell on this later.

“Jane got news that dragons were spotted not far from here. It was established that the King of Hope and the King of Heart are arriving.”  
His sudden reaction was obvious. He froze on the spot, lips barely parted, looking at you with a surprised expression as you waited for his response. He glanced to his right, going through his hair with his arm that wasn’t holding the door open. He clenched his teeth and sighed nervously.

“Ummm… Yeah. Okay, let me just… Get ready. You can wait inside the room”, he turned to face the closet. You awkwardly entered the room.

As he started going through his closet you were trying to figure out what to do with your hands. And was it okay if you sat down. It didn’t take you long to establish that the most interesting part of this whole room was the window facing your favorite bridge. You saw the others waiting at the front of the castle. Their dragons were there too. Kankri joined them when he heard the racket going on close by. He felt uneasy, even angry. You weren’t sure why, at least not yet. You’re going to worry about that later.

“Vantas, would you mind helping me with the armor?” Dave asked while buttoning up his shirt. The chest plate was on the bed, so you went up to get it. He was done when you reached the armor, so you lifted it up, stood in front of him to put it over him. You adjusted it around his body, tightening the bolts and leather belt. You saw he also laid out the cape on the bed next to him. You started attaching it on the required hooks as Dave moved his head so you could work without difficulties. You weren’t necessarily focusing on his face while helping him out, but every now and then you glanced at his eyes. His mouth was tightly closed. You noticed how he swallowed a few times as you adjusted the cape. His look was stern though, eyes focused on the mirror in front of him.  
When you finished, you stepped back, waited for him to comment on his clothes, but that didn’t happen. Instead he remained silent, motionless in front of the large mirror. He made no sounds, no remarks at all. This made you worried.

“Dave…”

“I haven’t seen my brother in years”, he said, standing still, breaking the silence.

“We lived together when we were little, before… umm… he inherited his own kingdom. After that, we rarely heard from each other, let alone met”, he sighed.

“I don’t remember how he looked like…”, he turned to you. His eyes hidden behind his shades.

“Uhh…”, he chuckled, “I think I remember his white hair. Figures since it runs in the family.”  
His smile was forced.

“We should head down”, you said softly. You noticed this was very difficult for him. Not because he held something against his brother, but because they were apart for so long he couldn’t even remember how he looked like. Their relationship was troubled by the years they’ve spent apart. They basically did not know each other. They were brothers, but strangers to one another.  
You went to the door, opening it and waiting for Dave to exit. He coughed, put his head high, and took a tall stance. A little too high if you were asked, it was obvious that he was faking it, but you didn’t want to complain. If this is how he copes with his problems, you won’t protest.

***

“What took you so long?” John asked as he looked at Dave who was all but storming down the path from the entrance of the castle.

“I needed to get ready”, he answered simply. John was evidently puzzled by this answer since you and him were gone for a while.

“The armor had some loose screws which needed to be replaced”, you added, hoping that that would clarify why you were late. Well, not late, just late compared to others.

Jane was standing at the front of your group. She was the queen of this kingdom after all, she needed to be the one to greet them all. She was standing firmly, a smile across her face. The fidgeting of her fingers was revealing how she was quite anxious, but she fought through it. Roxy was standing next to Rose, excitedly biting her lip as she starred in the distance. There was not much to see since the sun was setting and it was too bright to look directly at it. Nepeta and Feferi were giggling next to her, their dragons behind them, lazily laying on the soft grass. Meulin’s tail was twitching as she purred, enjoying the warmth of the last sunrays. Meenah was frustrated, she didn’t really understand why she needed to be here. You noticed Kankri who was on the edge of the meadow, in the shade of the forest. He usually took every chance he could get to enjoy the sunlight. His glare at you was vicious. He knew you noticed him. Whatever, he can sulk how much he wants to, you don’t want to argue with him now. You give him a quick frown and silently growl, showing your teeth as a warning to behave.

“When are they getting here? And where are the sweaty boulder and tentacle-limbed clown?” you crossed your arms from impatience. You expected them to be near since they were spotted half an hour ago.

“Oh, I think it will take them some time till they get here. And Gamzee and Equius are assisting them. We believe they have been attacked by the carapacians lurking in the forest nearby”, Jane explained.

“What?! You haven’t told us that Janey! Quick! I’ll go with Nepeta and Feferi to aid them”, Roxy said, already running to Meulin. She jumped on her back even before Nepeta could react.

“It is fine. They have the situation under control”, Jane tried to assure her, gently waving her hand so Roxy could take her seriously. The white-haired queen was suspicious of her words, waiting on the dragon to evaluate if she could trust her judgment. After a minute of a stare-off between the two, Roxy sighed, got off Meulin and tapped the dragon on the shoulder.

“But I am totally prepared to kill some monsters”, she said. The dragon smiled and purred to confirm her statement. You rolled your eyes. You didn’t even need to hurry. You have who knows how long before they get here. The dragons aren’t even visible yet. You wonder who spotted them in the first place. Some idiot who doesn’t mind wasting his eyesight by looking directly at the sun.

Hours passed. You cannot believe you’re still here. You cannot believe they didn’t decide to just go inside the castle and wait there. You guess excitement got the better of them. Kankri was still lying on the side. You heard growling coming from his direction. You decided to play his game and exchange looks with him every now and then, to agitate him so more. He knew you were playing around with him, that made you happy.  
Most of you were sitting on the grass or dragons. The torches were lit up as night fell, so Porrim took it upon herself to radiate some more light in the area. Her bioluminescence had a bright white glow, but still dull enough so it wouldn’t hurt if you looked at her directly. When she laughed, her skin would glow a little brighter. Feferi went away with Meenah since she was getting out of hand. You weren’t sure how the two of them managed to get along with each other for so long. Meenah was so aggressive towards her, while Feferi was always so calm and collected. Roxy was sitting on top of Meulin, leaning onto her soft mane and helping Nepeta braid it. The dragon’s mane was almost completely covered with braids of all shapes and sizes, which she appreciated since the mane wouldn’t get coiled up as much when it was tied up. Jane was sitting in-between Meulin’s paws, petting the soft short fur. Rose was sitting near Kanaya on Porrim’s back. Kanaya’s skin glowed as well, but not as bright as Porrim. You joined John and Dave on the grass. While Dave was lying on his back with hand underneath his head, John was sitting with his legs crossed. Most of the time he was smiling and cackling with a really annoying sound, which was in a way cute. You noticed how you stared at him a few times to admire his smile. Great Karkat, develop another crush on a human. Since one is obviously not enough.  
As you sat near Dave, you began thinking about everything that happened. And yes, you are ready to finally admit to yourself that you were attracted to him. You weren’t sure why, while in the same time it was perfectly clear. You hated yourself because of that. Out of all the trolls, out of all the choices you had, you developed a crush on a human. A prince. Which you serve as a guard. There was no way in hell you two are ever winding up together, and the thought of it surprisingly ached. Why were you so bothered with that? You had love interests before, but now… It hurts more. Maybe because this is the first time you have actually been close to the person you wanted to be with, this is not just a random crush on a stranger. Or maybe because the painful truth was that he was attractive, he was an idiot, and he was a little bit broken like you, but he was out of reach. The majority of the time spent sitting on the grass with him was spent dwelling on these thoughts. And you hate yourself a little because of it.  
Okay…  
A lot…

“My Queen!!!” one of the guards yelled as a sound of running echoed through the forest. Jane jumped on her feet, rushing to the front as everyone else prepared themselves to finally meet the others again. A howl shook the surroundings, penetrating the dense trees and reaching the castle. It’s lurid sound could freeze the blood in ones veins. You reached for your sword, taking a defensive position as you approached Jane if she needed cover. Kankri sensed your worry, so he jumped towards you, standing a few meters behind you just so you could get a feel of safety. The creature barked as it jumper out of the woods, revealing its huge body covered in soft white fur. You were expecting a monster, but this is a large saliva-producing machine. Just as you thought about that, it stepped closer to Jane, sniffed her a few times, then started licking her. Although confused, Jane started laughing, trying to get the dog off herself.

“Bequerel! Stop it!” A female voice yelled out. A girl landed on the ground as she got off the large dog. She grabbed its muzzle, clicking her tongue at it to calm it down.

“I apologize! He is just very excited when he meets new people!” She said and pat the dog on the neck. The beast sat down, breathing heavily as it looked around. Jane was obviously baffled by this situation. She forced a smile, giving the girl a good look.

“Have we met?”

“Oh no! I don’t think we have, but I heard so many stories about you! I’m so glad to finally meet you!”

“Jade!” a male voice came from behind. A white horse entered into the illuminated meadow revealing two figures on its back. One was a tall black-haired man with rectangular glasses who jumped of the horse and ran towards Jane.

“Cousin! I am so glad to see you!” he gave her a tight hug while she tried to put the pieces together of what was going on. John came forward, leaning towards the king so Jane could get a break from all these emotions.

“Jake?”

“John!” Jake exclaimed, brushing off John’s extended arm that was proposing a handshake, and giving him one of the tightest hugs he ever experiences. When Jake stepped back, he exhaled and smiled.

“I am so glad to see you again champ! When I last saw you, you were half your size!” Jake looked around noticing other people who waited for him. Rose was smiling at him, waiving with Kanaya, so he lifted his arm trying to wave back. A sudden impact with a strong force tackled him down. He hit the ground, his glasses landing next to him. Thankfully unharmed.

“Jakey!!!” Roxy landed on top of him, hugging him tightly as Jake tried to get ahold of himself.

Another horse appeared from the forest, accompanied by three knights landing onto the ground, which was now getting quite crowded. The large sea-dweller dragon took most of the space which caused a commotion between the other two dragons since they obviously wanted a spot to land as well. The brown-blooded dragon decided not to argue and landed in the back, quickly joining the gathering by walking. As the crowd got louder, you became more uncomfortable. There were just so many people here. You tried to find an excuse to escape, but currently there weren’t any. So you looked around, trying to find Dave, which reminded you of his anxious feeling when you said his brother was arriving. You panicked, glancing from one corner to another, having the urge to accompany him or support him as he went to meet his brother. You finally find him walking towards the white horse.  
The tall man, who was till then sitting in the saddle, jumped off and released the reins from his hands. His face covered with a weird pair of triangular shades. His posture was stern, but tense. His hands formed fists, and he repeatedly opened and closed them every few seconds. Dave stopped right in front of him. They were almost the exact height, his brother somewhat taller. You could feel how Dave was nervous, how his throat got all tight while standing in front of the white-haired king. There was an awkward silence between them, before Dave decided to cut it off.

“Dirk…”, he started, his voice trembling, but only slightly. If you didn’t know how nervous he was before, you wouldn’t have noticed.

“A while has passed since we have last seen each other, hasn’t it?” Dirk spoke. His voice was deep, soft but tired.

“It is nice to see you again”, Dave reached out with his hand, offering it to Dirk. The king accepted it, gave him a firm handshake before he was interrupted by the knight on the other horse.

“Shouldn’t we go inside? It has been a long day and I could use some dinner. And a something more comfortable than this fucking rock between my legs”, the rider complained pointing out the uncomfortable saddle.

“Right, I shall see to Jane about it”, he said, passing Dave as he went up to the queen. Everybody agreed how it is about time for supper, and that it would be warmer to sit inside. The noise slowly started dying down as the royalty and knights entered the castle, and the servants started taking care of the horses, baggage, as well as settling the dragons and showing them their lair.

Only Dave was left standing on the road, looking at the doors of the castle. A looming disappointed surrounded him. You felt sorry for him. This was probably not what he was expecting. He didn’t know what to do, how to approach Dirk. He wanted to, you saw the longing on his face, but there was a status he needed to maintain. He wasn’t the kind of person who showed much emotions, he hid behind a barrier, protected himself under those glasses. You rarely saw his eyes, but every time you did they were so filled with emotions. It is so frustrating to see him bottling everything up like that. He has so many people close to him, so many he could trust. Instead he keeps everything to himself.  
You approached him, put a hand over his shoulder. You didn’t leave it there, you only brushed it of so he wouldn’t think you knew what was going on with him. He will tell you if he feels like it.

“Come on, let’s meet them inside”, you turned to see if he was coming.

He didn’t respond, just joined you. You wish you could help him out, but this seemed to be too personal.  
God, the silence felt so wrong.


	11. Be modest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been quite some time from the last update. I hope you won't take it against me ^^''  
> I've been busy with school and lost my inspiration for some time, but I'm back with a new chapter.  
> I hope you'll like it! :D

Everyone settled around the dining table which was filled with dishes, from appetizers to desserts. The noise in the room soon got so loud you could barely hear what the people next to you talked about. It was weirdly uncomfortable being with everyone in the same room. Before there were not so many of you, but now… It got crowded really fast. You felt a bit claustrophobic. The whole situation was awkward.

The new knights that joined your table weren’t necessarily at good terms. The sea-dweller looked arrogantly over the other two. His high stance and elegant clothes were telling you how he is totally full of himself. His fingers were decorated with many golden rings. Only his thumbs didn’t have rings on them. The fin-like ears glistened under the light of torches. They were slightly bioluminescent, emitting a weak purple glow. On some places they were scratched, but those holes weren’t a huge deal since he had at least ten places on each ear pierced. He spoke weirdly, elongating the w and v sounds. It didn’t take you long to establish his name is Eridan. And he despised almost everyone on the spectrum beneath him, thinking that they are worth less than him. Especially the yellow-blooded psionic who sat across him.

The yellow-blood would have sat further away but didn’t want to cause a commotion between the rulers. His dissatisfied glance towards Eridan made it obvious of how much they rivaled with each other. The first thing you noticed about him were the glasses with discolored lenses. One was red, the other blue. You weren’t sure of why anyone would wear something that fucking ridiculous. Well, not until you saw his eyes. This was the first time you encountered a psionic knight, since most of them were used in heavy-labor jobs and avoided in public because of their powers which caused them to have mental problems, so you don’t really know if having different-colored eyes was normal for them. Or eyes without pupils. He had four horns, which wasn’t unusual for trolls, but four ears was what was out of the ordinary. On each side he had two, the upper one a bit bigger than the lower one. Their constant twitching and rotating indicated how he was very responsive to sound, and might have meant this noise is too much for him. Sparks appeared around his horns when he would get agitated, mostly about Eridan’s behavior. You saw him digging his nails into his hands to keep himself under control. His name was Sollux, and you weren’t particularly fond of him either.

The third knight was sitting next to Sollux, talking with Gamzee about who knows what. His giant wings spread so he could sit normally. You have never seen a troll with wings before, nor heard of one. Is he a mutant then? Like you? You weren’t sure, and it would be rude to ask, so you’ll just forget about it. His wide horns often got in the way when walking, especially when walking through doors. But he seemed to be used to it, entering the rooms slightly sideways. He was skinny, not much muscle on him. His armor looked big on him, the parts he wore. His upper body was covered with a chest piece, while his legs were exposed. Mostly because of his left leg, which was lost in battle you presume, and replaced with a wooden one. He walked clumsily, using his clutches to hold himself up. Gamzee asked him multiple times to carry him, but he rejected, thanking him for the offer. It took you a bit of time to hear his name, which was Tavros.

The two kings who came in today sat right next to Jane, who was sitting at the head of the table. Jake got pretty loud, talking about their adventures on the trip. He would sometimes jump up and wave his hands through the air, describing battles and enemies. Dirk was sitting right across him, he didn’t smile. At all. He seemed to be deep in his thoughts, rolling pieces of food on his plate with a fork. He was uninterested in what was going on, but would politely join the conversation now and then. You couldn’t see where he was looking at behind those dark sunglasses, but you were sure he never looked at Dave. Actually, he was probably avoiding any contacts with him altogether. The tension was strong, and it made you slightly anxious because of how Dave must be feeling right now. But when you would look at Dave, he didn’t show any signs of agitation, so you tried to brush it off and concentrate on something else.

“Why Jakey, that was an amazing story you just told, and I’m sure it took you a lot of courage to defeat all those… monsters”, Roxy started.

“Quite right! They were vicious! Three rows of teeth!”, Jake put his fingers near his mouth trying to illustrate the sharp fangs.

“Yes, of course… But, why don’t you introduce us to the lady with the direwolf already?” she raised her voice. Not out of anger, but out of excitement and impatience. She leaned over the table, looked to her right, 3 seats away from her. A wide grin appeared on her face as the girl sitting on the seat right of Rose, and left of Jake, chuckled at the forgetfulness of the King of Hope. Jake blushed, obviously embarrassed how he forgot about her. 

“Yes, yes! I apologize for my rude behavior. I have not only forgot to introduce her, but the knight who protects her as well”, he coughed to grab everyone’s attention and stood up.

“This is the Queen of Space, Jade Harley, my long lost sister.”  
You noticed John and Jane opening their mouths in surprise, looking at her and finally noticing the resemblance she had with Jake. The big light green eyes, small overbite over her wide smile, her long wavy hair which was now tied in a ponytail. She had large round glasses on her nose that were a bit too wide so they would slide down every now and then.

“Sister…? How long…? Why haven’t you told us?” Jane looked at him, putting her hand over her chest, trying to stay calm. 

“Well, we only found out a few months ago. It was quite a big surprise for us too”, Jake chuckled nervously. He probably had the time to send a letter to them, but forgot due to the circumstances he found himself in. You don’t find out every day how your allegedly dead sister is actually alive.

“It is probably best if I explain what happened, and how, on my own”, she put her hand on Jake’s shoulder, showing him to sit down. He looked at her a bit confused since he probably already had the whole speech in his head, ready to demonstrate it all.

“Now, as I presume you all already know, my mother has been found dead not long after my birth. The maids said how she bled to her death, and they couldn’t have saved her. The baby died too, suffocated while emerging from the womb. They disposed of the bodies, covering them with sheets until the funeral was held. This is the story you were told and led to believe, but is not entirely true. My mother bled to her death, that is true, but her death might have been prevented. One of the midwives was well aware there was conflict over how to treat the bleeding, and she suspected the others had some kind of an agreement about treating the wound badly on purpose. There were traitors inside the castle. The midwife that realized the treason decided to ask to take care of the baby, check its vital signs. She took me to the side, tried to calm me down, but knew there was no way she could fake my death just by acting. So she took some special mix of herbs and made me breath them in, causing me to fall asleep tightly. If you would have checked my vital signs, you wouldn’t notice I was breathing, I was completely numb, it appeared that I was dead. When the other maids checked on me, they fell for the trick, so Maya, the midwife who saved me, covered me with a white sheet and decided to get out of the room unnoticed. She was loyal to her queen, and very close to her. My mother considered her to be her personal maid, even though that was never official, so she often went inconspicuously around the castle. This is what made her attempt to save me a success. She was good at sneaking around the premises, she knew her way around. She knew everyone, but rarely who knew her. She took a horse and fled the castle, knowing that I’ll be safer with her than in my kingdom. People would only assume she buried the baby and would not search for her, at least not until the question is asked about where the body is and why isn’t it buried with the body of her mother. It gave her enough time to escape to the neighboring kingdom, find a new job, and start off as an amateur witch in a village. Over the years, I grew older, she became known for her potions, and we lived quite happily together. We moved often, she was very anxious about me getting found. So we ran, across the country, and across the world. We have lived everywhere and nowhere, and sometimes we didn’t have enough to eat, and sometimes we were trying to get warm in winter nights. Sometimes we would be yelled at, sometimes we would be all alone”, she sighed deeply. You saw that she cared a lot for her guardian, and even though she was young, she saw how hard it was for the maid to take care of the two of them.

“And one day, we came across a caravan of guards protecting a luxurious carriage. A boy ran outside, looking excitedly at the stands in the local village. I remember standing there baffled by how much golden trinkets he had on his arms, and how his clothes were so spotlessly clean, but his hair was so messy”, she chuckled and looked at Jake.

“My mo… Maya recognized him instantly. She ran towards him, tried to be friendly and showed him all kinds of gemstones she collected over the years. He was very interested in them, so she started talking to him, mentioned how she once worked in his kingdom. It didn’t take her long to convince him to take us with them. It turned out that Jake has been staying at Dirk’s kingdom, and they were really close. Maya somehow gained their trust really fast, starting of as the nurse, and in a year ending up as their personal caretaker. I grew up closely associated with them. We played together, practiced fighting, made a lot of trouble”, she laughed at that, covering her mouth with her hand which was covered in small colorful ribbons. You weren’t sure what their purpose is.

“And then… After years… Maya finally told me who I am. She said she could sense something menacing upon the kingdom, and that I should flee with Dirk and Jake, tell them about myself and run away. This happened some six months ago, and it took me about a month to finally come to terms with the truth. I was… I was surprised, avoiding any contact with other people until I finally accepted who I am. When I came back to the castle, I told Jake and Dirk what happened, who I really am, and even though I cannot verify it myself, Maya could. Of course, Dirk stormed to her chamber, questioned her about everything, and she told him all the details, explained how she was indeed my mother’s servant. Jake accepted me… quite fast. But Dirk needed some time…”, she gave him a quick glance. She didn’t blame him for his doubt, but you noticed how there was something more to it. She was… hurt. They were close for so many years only to find out Dirk wouldn’t believe her when she shared something this heavy. You understand the King’s reaction though. That does sound hard to believe, and the question of what her real intent with this information is needs to be dwelled upon. She decided to continue the story.

“The Kingdom of Heart was attacked a few days later Maya’s death. I believe this isn’t a coincidence, and that somebody, somehow, found out who she is. Jake got your letter, Jane, a few days before the attack, the one about John’s birthday, and claimed we should get here to seek help. I mean, at least hide for a while, and visit you, wait for the situation to cool down”, she looked at Jane, who was still in quite a shock from everything. She was trying to digest the story and zoned out completely until John asked her about what she will do.

“Oh! Of course! Stay as long as you want! I apologize, I am not really used to… Hearing news like this. I mean, I am prepared for the war and hope to be able to lead if it comes to question, but finding out about…” Jade seemed to feel a bit uneasy about Jane’s reaction, but John quickly reacted.

“She doesn’t mean that in a bad way!”

Jane just realized how her reaction was interpreted by Jade. She jumped, turning to Jade.  
“I am so sorry! I have not meant it in that way! Forgive me! What I meant to say is that it has been so long, and we don’t know anything about you! These are not news you hear every day, but I am more than thrilled to meet you Jade! And you are welcome here in my castle, always! You are a member of our family, and if Jake and Dirk accepted you, I accept you too”, she said, reaching out with her hand to grab Jade’s. You noticed Jade tearing up. She tried to hide her concern about how the others would react to these news, but as she started laughing and crying you realized how anxious she must have been. Did she experience something worse before? With Dirk? You looked at him, hoping he won’t notice, just to see his reaction to all of this. But he stood still, looking stern as always. He did, however, notice you looking at him, so he returned the glance, raising one of his eyebrows. You quickly turned forward, blushing a little since you were caught staring.  
Roxy flew out of her chair and rushed towards Jade, giving her a tight hug.

“You hear that Jade? You’re a part of the family now!” she kissed her cheek, then squinted towards the hind corner of the room.

“Now, there’s important business we need to attend to”, she whispered. Jade raised her eyebrows in confusion.

“Business?”

“Who’s your handsome friend over there?” You all looked at Roxy who was seemingly a little tipsy and was showing somewhere in the direction at the end of the table where all the knights were sitting. John almost spat out his drink.

“Oh! You mean Bec!” At the mention of his name, the giant ball of fluffy fur got up on his feet and looked towards Jade with his tongue out. She tipped her head, showed him to approach her. He trotted towards her, his giant tail high up in the air and smacking around. Bec sat right next to Jade, slobbering all over her face.

“Bec! Stop it!” she laughed and shushed him, which made him sit straight, he closed his mouth and put his ears high up in the air.

“This is Becquerel, the biggest saliva producer you’ll ever meet. We picked him up in a forest once, while Jake, Dirk and I were out hunting. The poor guy was being attacked by wolves. We thought he was some abandoned pup they decided to go up against, so we scared them off with arrows. The wolves thought of him as a threat, but he was helpless. I begged Jake to let me keep him, that I’ll take care of him. Feed him, bathe him, train him. But what I didn’t know is that he’ll grow so big”, she giggled, her laugh echoing through the hall.

“I thought it was a wolf puppy, only a few months old. Turns out he was a direwolf, one that eats 4 pounds of meat a day”, she pat Bec on his shoulder, giving him a sign that he can relax. Bec instantly got back to his old spot, drinking out of a big bowl.

“He’s very thirsty. This was a long journey for him”, she chuckled. Roxy flew out of her seat, rushed towards the big dog and jumped onto him, getting absorbed by his fur. Bec obviously didn’t even notice since he didn’t stop drinking.

“I love him! He’s so soft”, she yelled, petting the fur. John sighed out of relief. Rose smiled and rolled her eyes. She didn’t know who was worse, her sister, or John.

“Now that we’re done with that… I think it is time to introduce Jade’s human knight, Sir David”, Dirk rose from his seat. He put his hands behind his back. You weren’t sure why exactly he decided to introduce him, he was quiet during most of the dinner. On the other side of the table, Sir David got up from his seat and bowed, showing himself to the rest.

John chuckled.  
“Why a human knight? Humans are popular as soldiers and servants, but knights?”

“Yes, but this is an exception. He is skilled enough to serve as a knight, even though he doesn’t have a fire breathing dragon on his side. Skill is what knights should be measured in, not in physical endurance or strength”, his expression didn’t change, but John felt bad about saying something out of place.

“I didn’t… I didn’t mean any disrespect”, he apologized. Dirk turned to the middle of the table, facing everyone to his right.

“Sir David has joined us a few months ago, seeking a place for work in the castle. It didn’t take me long to realize he looks significantly similar to my father, so I decided to investigate. It turns out he is the descendant of the Strider bloodline,” he looked at Dave,” our stepbrother, if you would.”

“Stepbrother?!” Dave jumped on his feet, leaning across the table and looking at the knight.

“Our father’s offspring?!”

“Yes”, Dirk said sternly, his stance unchanged.

“He does not have any proper titles, and probably never will. But he is of our blood, and it would only be right to give him a chance to get close to the family.”

“Get close…?!” Dave waved his head, only slightly, but it gave out a message that he didn’t approve of David. He looked at Dirk, right in the eyes and squinted, his rage hidden behind a pair of sunglasses.

“Giving a bastard a chance to bond, while avoiding to talk to a brother for years”, Dave growled, turned around and left the hall slamming the door violently behind himself. Dirk watched him while he was rushing out, but didn’t change his expression. He was so strange, he seemed as if he didn’t have any emotions at all. You could usually understand someone’s emotions quite easily, but he was so collected you couldn’t pinpoint if he was angry, sad, or disappointed of his brother’s behavior. John wanted to get up, but Jane quickly grabbed his hand and waved her head while closing her eyes. He sighed, looked in the direction from which Dave vanished, and sat back down. It wouldn’t be polite to leave in the middle of the dinner just like that, even if it was just to calm Dave down.

“As I was saying, I hope you will accept him as a knight, if not as a member of the Strider bloodline, and I ask for full respect for his name”, Dirk finished up. You frowned. He didn’t even say anything about Dave, not even one word about how he hopes he’s okay, or how he understands that this must be tough for him. How can he just be so inconsiderate of his own brother?! Who the fuck does he think he is?!

You wanted to get up, wanted to check up on Dave. You know you shouldn’t, it would be even worse if a knight just storms of than a prince. This good-manners thing is such bullshit! King of Heart your ass! He can be the fucking King of the universe for all you care! You felt your anger build up, your face getting red as you tried to restrain yourself from growling. You felt somebody watching you, you could sense it. Somebody realized that you were trying to restrain yourself from bursting and that you were on the edge of a breakdown. You looked around, saw dark green eyes peering into you. Her look was stern, but calm and supportive. Her eyes the color of a pine forest made your heart race, but also slowly started getting to you, making you concentrate on bottling your anger up, at least for now. As she noticed you looked away to the other side, she knew that she had an impact on you. So she got back to talking with Rose and Jade.  
Why did you stop? How did she do that only by looking at you? You haven’t felt like this… Usually Kankri is the one that somehow calms you down. But this was different. Kanaya always seemed so calm and supportive, unlike Kankri who resolved your anger by making you channel all your anger at him. Which wasn’t really healthy now when you think about it… But you two grew used to it and know how to function like that. But… This… This was so refreshing and new, and actually seemed to be a better option. Kanaya made you feel like she understood what you are going through, but saying that you should deal with it differently than just yelling at people and being violent. But this raises another question. What is this relationship you are building with her? Or, have already built? Have you taken her friendship wrong? If you are moirails with her… Then she can’t be in a moiralligance with Rose. This has no fucking sense! You’ll need to dwell on this later!

 

The dinner finished late in the night. Everybody was drunk or tipsy. But not you. You couldn’t stand the taste of alcohol tonight. You couldn’t stand the taste of anything. Everything around you seemed blurry and out of place. Why does everything need to be so confusing? Why can’t you just be laid back and relax for a moment instead of thinking about your emotions, about the emotions of others and how they affect them? You feel so filled with anger, with sadness, and with confusion. It makes you so tired.  
You drag yourself around the castle, not knowing where to go. Your legs are heavy and you reach for the wall to hold yourself up. You suddenly feel so weak from everything. You don’t know where to go, what you wanted to do. You don’t want to go to sleep, but you crave the comfort of a bed so much. You breathe in slowly, trying to make sense of everything. You look up and find yourself in a familiar hallway. When did you climb up the stairs? Dave’s room is right behind the corner.

Dave…  
You should check up on him.  
No. You shouldn’t. But you want to.  
What time is it?  
Is he sleeping?  
You get closer to the door, stand up straight and gently knock on the door, hoping somebody will respond. Or not. Either is fine. You hope he’s fine… Nobody’s answering, but as you try to knock again, the door open up a little. They aren’t locked as they usually are. You grab the door knob, slowly pushing the door. They don’t produce any noise. It’s dark in the inside.

“Dave?” you ask quietly. You still aren’t sure if he’s sleeping. The doors are now open wide enough for you to stick your head in. You immediately look at the bed, but the sheets are neatly folded. There’s nobody on there. Something grabs your attention to your left. The light coming from the window casts shadows around the room, as well as the hunched shape of a person. You recognize Dave sitting at the window, pulling his legs closely as he rests his head on his knees. He knows you are standing at the door, but doesn’t look at you. You feel uncomfortable, but aren’t sure why. Maybe because he doesn’t say anything. Maybe because he doesn’t yell at you. Maybe because somehow, you feel like he doesn’t want you away.

“Are you okay?” you ask, your voice low. You try not to startle him. He doesn’t respond. Just continues looking out the window.

“Hey, um… I know that I’m probably not the right person to say this, but”, you bite your lower lip, ”I’m here… If you feel like talking about it.”  
He seems to shift just a bit, grazes across the room and meets your eyes. But you’re not sure since he’s wearing dark shades. You sigh and turn around.

“Good night”, you say before exiting closing the door.  
There’s nothing more you could really do. Except go to sleep and wait for all of it to pass.

***

“Rise and shine, princess!” a high-pitched voice awoke you from your sleep. Suddenly the rays of sunshine reached your eyes after somebody opened up the curtains, and made you yell out of anger. Who the fuck does this?! You rolled to your side but forgot how you fell asleep right on the edge of the bed, so when you start sliding down you immediately jumped on your feet to avoid the impact with the hard stone floor.

“Good! You’re up!” a female voice giggled. You went through your hair and scratched your head before you looked at the imposter in your room. Her wide confident stance with her arms on her hips was telling you she’s probably crazy to be so energetic so early in the morning. There’s only one person who fits this description.

“Nepeta… What the flying fuck are you doing?!” you raised your voice and stretched. She knew you weren’t a threat to her. Your yelling was amusing to her, not scary.

“It’s time for some friendly sparing in the garden! Dave is already waiting for me outside! And you did say you’ll join us!” she jumped towards the window opening it to let in some fresh air. Then she got up on its ledge and leaned out.

“Hey Dave!!! We’ll be down in a minute!” she yelled out then turned back to you.

“Ready?” she said while you went to the bathroom to get ready. You felt so slow and tired. You didn’t have any motivation for this, and the thought of sparing with Nepeta and Dave only caused you to see yourself on the floor with your face in the ground while they tease you how slow you are. Brilliant. You can’t wait.  
Even though this is going to be a painful experience, you are happy to get a chance to train with them. If something, you might get back in your shape. You haven’t trained in quite a while, mostly because you needed to attend all meals, socialize with others, go on trips to the town, escort kings and queens to the farmer’s market, and so on. Your only problem is that you fear you might get hurt. True, this is just some friendly practice, but you can never be sure with these things. Especially if they choose to use real blades and not wooden swords. Does Nepeta even use a sword? You aren’t sure. Dave doesn’t. You aren’t calling that broken piece of shit a sword. It’s disgraceful to other swords.

You quickly put on a pair of pants, a simple shirt you usually wear under your armor, your trusted leather boots, and the belt with your sword. Nepeta was walking around your room curiously going over your stuff. You asked her to stop but she didn’t listen, just continued snooping through your clothes. She found a fancy shirt you owned just in case and asked you why you never wear it. You put it on once, for some ball one of your former employees organized. It’s been collecting dust ever since. Besides, light blue isn’t really your color. Nepeta agreed and tossed it back into the closet. Great. You’ll be the one who’ll need to clean that up later.  
When you came outside you were greeted by the hot morning son. It’s near 9 am, but it’s already hard to breath. You squint to adjust to the light since it was much darker in the castle. Dave’s nowhere to be found. Nepeta’s not worried though. She goes to the back, leading you to the stables. In front of them there’s enough space for all of you, and the trees nearby provide some shadow so you’re not in direct sunlight. Nepeta goes to the shed in front of the barn. You’re not sure what she’s doing in there, but you don’t need to wait long. She comes out attaching metal claws onto her hands. She adjusts the leather straps, moves the long sharp claws on her knuckles until they don’t squeeze her anymore. You guess this is what she likes to use in combat. You aren’t surprised.

“All set?” she asks.

“Yeah, but where’s Dave?” you look around. Still no sign of him.

“Don’t worry, he’ll jump out of somewhere when you’re ready”, she chuckles.

“Wait… Don’t tell me that…”, you didn’t even have the time to think of a reasonable insult for him before a sound of cracking branches broke the silence of the forest. You turned your head only to see a bright red flash passing you on the other side. You reached towards your sword, but a force already pushed you on the ground, leaving you defenseless. You wanted to jump up on your feet again, but you were stopped by a foot stepping on your stomach and pinning you down.

“I don’t ask much in life, but could you move your disgusting foot off of me you unstable piece of shit?! “ you yelled at Dave who was standing right above you, pointing the blade of his sword at your neck.

“And do you really think you could cut my throat with that pile of scrap metal?! Get yourself a real sword Strider!” He lifted his foot and smiled.

“And I thought you were cranky during the day. I guess you’re not a morning person”, he put his sword back in its scabbard.

“Wrong! I’m not a people person!” you got up, looked at Nepeta who was giggling until that point. This was all a joke to her. You rolled your eyes. She realized how frustrated you were so she approached the two of you.

“Ok guys, first thing we need to do is warm up, then you can fight each other all you want. And maybe you should get wooden swords…”, she tilted her head and looked at your weapon. Frankly, that was a good idea. You would rather be hit by a wooden sword, than get stabbed by a real one.

 

After a good warm up and some practice sparing, you decided to try fighting against each other. Nepeta went first against Dave, and you watched in awe how they flew across the air as sparks appeared every time their blades intertwined. Nepeta was so concentrated, a slight smirk on the corner of her lips, but her eyes never lost target. She never once touched the ground with her back, always jumped right back up if she was pushed. She was extremely light on her feet, able to suddenly change directions and jump higher than Dave could. She did cartwheels and hand stands during the fight, effectively avoiding Dave’s strikes. Dave, on the other hand, would use his time abilities to teleport from one spot to another, appearing only as a blurry flash before vanishing to strike another blow. You weren’t bad at sword-fighting, but you weren’t as fast as Dave, and you worry he might beat you. You won’t let him, but there’s a possibility he’ll overdo it. And you’ll overreact.

Their fight didn’t last long. Just a few minutes, but they got really tired from it. They shook hands and laughed while going to get some water from the faucet located near the stable. They sat on the grass next to you and discussed their fight, going over what they did right, and what could be done better. They went over their equipment, looking if anything got damaged. They also carefully examined if they cut themselves, but only found some minor bruises and cuts from before. After Dave got a few minutes of rest, he decided it was time to face you. You swore you saw him smirking. He was glad he got the chance to go up against you. Probably to have something to make fun of you later. You frowned, taking out your sword and looking at it like it’ll help you concentrate. You stopped right in front of him, a meter or two apart. He took his stance, crouched down and gripped his sword with two hands. You did the same.

“Ready, Vantas?”

“Ready”, you growled and he disappeared.

Your mind told you to panic. You don’t know where he is, he’s fast, he’s almost invisible, you don’t have a chance to react on time. But your instincts told you to wait. You watched him fight with Nepeta before, what’s the thing he did almost always?  
Attack from the back.  
Just as you turned and lifted your sword, the red flash appeared, the two swords clashing midair. In that split second you noticed him frowning, his lips tightly closed and his eyes hidden behind his shades. He wasn’t expecting you to defend this attack so swiftly. You smirked, getting more confident.  
Just as he appeared, he vanished again. You turned back, defending another blow. Sparks from the blades exploded on the spot of impact and Dave vanished again. He attacked twice now, he knows you cracked his technique. You’ll need to think fast if you want to avoid his next blow. You step backwards, crouching down as Strider flies through the place you were standing on just a second ago. A sign of rage clearly marks his face as you realize he’s going to give everything he’s got to defend his ego. Well, you’re not backing down either!  
As the fight progresses you feel like his blows are getting faster, and your reactions slower. He managed to trip you a few times. You would stumble on the ground, only to get up just in time to avoid his next blow. His stamina was much better than yours. Your arms were getting tired of holding the sword. It was becoming difficult to swing it through the air in a quick amount of time. There was no way you were going to last another two minutes like this. It was becoming hard to breathe. You couldn’t think anymore. He noticed.  
A strong kick on the center of your back knocked you down. You tried to turn, tried to get up, but you were too exhausted. Dave stood above you, his sword pointed at your chest, his expression unreadable. You frowned knowing that he’ll make fun of you. Knowing that he’ll complain how you’re incompetent and how he can defend himself perfectly without you.

He extended his arm towards you, offering you his hand. You looked at him. Is this some kind of trick?  
“Good match”, he said and smiled, throwing his sword to the ground. You were confused, but didn’t think much and accepted his help in getting up. You looked him in the eyes, but his honest smile was telling you that this isn’t some mind game he was playing. Nepeta rushed towards you two, asking you questions about how you feel and are you hurt. You took your sword and put it back into the scabbard. The three of you sat down and you explained how you were fine, just tired. Although Dave made fun of your fighting skills a few times while discussing your match, he laughed afterwards explaining how it’s a joke. You smiled. Nepeta laughed.  
This… you actually liked this.

 

“I actually think your biggest problem is your sword”, Nepeta took the weapon out of your scabbard and started going over it, spinning it around and looking at it from different angles.

“This is a long sword”, she threw it around in her hands a few times, then stood up, took her stance and grabbed the handle with both of her hands.

“It’s much heavier and you can’t hold it for a long time. You need something smaller”, she said.

“That sword cost me my half-year pay! I am not fucking giving it up just like that!” you growled.

“It’s too big for you to handle!” Nepeta commented and Dave immediately burst out laughing.

“What’s so funny?!” you rolled your eyes visibly irritated by his laughter. Dave tried to calm down and turned to you lifting one of his eyebrows and smirking.

“Just the fact that you can’t handle big swords.”  
Your face started burning up as you realize what he meant. Nepeta started laughing as well realizing the innuendo she made.

“Don’t worry Karkat, it’s all about experience. You just need to practice!” Nepeta added. Your face became redder, and Dave started laughing harder.

“Very funny! Only lowlife idiots would find something like that hillarious!” you crossed your arms.

“Don’t worry Vantas”, Dave lowered his voice a little and leaned towards you,” you can always practice with my sword.” He winked.  
Even though your heart started racing after that last comment, you bit your lip and decided to get him back.

“Your sword is barely the half of mine. Not that impressive.” There was a slight gasp coming from Nepeta, as well as silence from Dave before he raised his eyebrows.

“Does that mean you’ll rather practice with yourself, than with someone else?” he smiled. Nepeta chuckled. You mumbled some curses under your breath.

“Ok guys, enough with the bickering! Wait here, I’ll try to find something”, she said and disappeared into the shed to find something to replace your sword. She was in there for a couple of minutes while Dave and you were sitting in awkward silence on the grass. There was ruckus coming from outside, metal hitting the hard wood floor. She was obviously tossing stuff all over the shed like she did in her room.

“Found something!” she jumped out holding something semi-circular in her hand.

“There were no more weapons of the kind I wanted you to try out, but I thought these will do”, she smiled and handed you two sharp sickles. You looked at them, then at her wide grin.

“Are you sure?”

“A hundred percent!” she exclaimed.  
“Now give me that lousy sword and try them out!”

***

It was right before lunch time. Any minute now Jane is going to dispatch servants who will ask you to accompany her at the dining hall. But you still had a little bit of time left before that happens. You just got out of a cold shower and put on some fresh and nice clothes. Nice clothes meant a clean white shirt and some simple pants you casually wear every day.  
It was quiet in the castle. The hallways were lighted up by sunlight. You could see the dragons sunbathing on the edge of the cliff, stretching their wings out. Kankri was sleeping, you checked up on him before going back to your room. You should really go ride with him soon, you two haven’t had some quality time together for a while now.  
As you were walking down the castle, you realized the library is close by. You could stop by and see if Rose and Kanaya are there. They usually read at this time of day. And you could read a few more pages before lunch. Jane will probably sent someone to get them so you’ll just tag along.

You grabbed the door handle, but right as you were about to open the door, you realize there was sound coming from the library. And not the usual one where you could only hear the crispy page turning and a rare comment between the two girls. This was… different. They whispered to one another. And giggled. You forgot to knock. The curiosity got the best of you so you just turned the knob and got in.  
You noticed that they were laying on the couch. Kanaya on top of Rose. Her long emerald dress falling over the edge of the couch, her hand on Rose’s face, gently caressing her. Rose’s face was flustered, her eyes closed as her lips intervened with Kanaya’s. She was holding the knight gently around her waist, as she giggled in between the passionate kisses.

You stood in shock. You didn’t really know how to react, what to say. They still didn’t notice you. Not until the doors slammed shut because you forgot you let go of the door knob. Rose’s eyes suddenly widened as she saw you standing in front of the entrance, your mouth open, unable to utter a word. Kanaya turned around, looked at you, blinked and sighed. She whispered something to Rose, something in the means of: “I’ll take care of it.”  
Rose nodded, got up and walked out passed you, looking at the floor to avoid eye contact. Kanaya sat on the couch and looked at you. Her poise still elegant as always, but her expression showed concern.

“Karkat… We need to talk…”


	12. Don't get involved

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while since I posted the last chapter, and when I started writing again I really felt like I forgot about everything. What's happening in the story, what is currently going on, what were my plans for this... Honestly, a few days ago I felt really discouraged.  
> But I managed to finish this chapter. I realized what was the direction I was heading to, and made my way to it.
> 
> It's really taking me a lot of time to write one of these chapters and go over them, and now that school has started I really can't write as much as I used to.  
> But there is so many ideas I still need to write so I'm not backing away from this project >:)
> 
> You can find art for this fic on my [tumblr](http://sintarija.tumblr.com/tagged/dragonriderstuck)
> 
> I highly appretiate feedback (comments fuel my soul!), and love to hear what you think of the story. :)  
> If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

All you wanted to do was yell at her. Scream in her face and ask what the hell was she thinking. But you couldn’t do that. You couldn’t bear to see her get hurt, to see her eyes tear up when you start raging on about her affair. She is a strong woman, maybe she wouldn’t cry. Maybe she would understand how you feel, that you were only worried for her sake. What if it was somebody else who found them? What if they found out about them? What if they decided to kill them? No… They wouldn’t kill Rose… They would only kill Kanaya! And say it was her fault! They would blame her for the assault! They would say she made Rose do it! They would kill her for sure! You know it! They would take her up in front of everybody and shame her for what she did! They would kill her! They would kill her dragon! No! they would make her watch her dragon’s death! They would…

“Karkat!” her voice brought you back to the present. Her hands gently resting on your shoulders as she tried to establish eye contact. You realized how your vision got blurry. You quickly blinked to get ahold of yourself. She almost saw you weep like a fucking grub.

“Are you ok?” she asked still trying to get your attention. You started breathing normally. You nodded to give her a sign you heard her.

“Do you want to sit down?” You sighed, sat in the chair while she sat on the couch. You probably won’t sit on that couch for a while. Not until you accept what has been happening between them. It’s not because what they were doing was disgusting to you, it’s just… making you nervous. You don’t want them to be exposed… Not until they’re ready to tell everyone themselves.

“Karkat…”, she started. You noticed this was not easy for her either. She tried keeping her gaze at you, but couldn’t help to look at her fingers with which she was playing to keep her thoughts together. She took a deep breath and peered right into your eyes.

“Please, you can’t tell anyone about us. The others… They may not be supportive of us. And I cannot risk endangering Rose’s safety. She does not deserve the cruelty some may inflict on her because of our relationship.”

You sighed and looked aside.  
“Of course… It never occurred to me to do something like that at all.”

You could sense her stance relaxing. She finally set her hands aside letting her fingers separate from each other. She looked towards the door, still quiet, creating a subtle awkward silence between you two. You really did not know what to say about all of that, and you wanted to ask questions, but were afraid it would be out of place.

“I’m sorry for not telling you”, she finally uttered, then sighed again.  
“I knew for some time now that you could be trusted. And you would… Understand… In a way.”  
You gave her a confused look, but she continued explaining herself before you could react.

“We have been together for a long time now. Long before we came to this castle. It wasn’t something sudden. I guess we both knew something was developing over time. Months, even years. We found ourselves in front of a choice: go through with what we really feel, or grow apart, choose our separate ways”, she sighed.

“What we decided wasn’t best for the sake of our status, but it was best for us personally.”  
She gave you a quick look, her eyes filled with shame. Shame of who she was and what she chose. She still cared how people viewed her, and felt as if her image was stained now that you knew what feelings she shared with Rose. She believed you were a good person, but couldn’t know you will look at her in the same way as before now that you know her secret. You felt a bit offended by that.

“Kanaya… I don’t think… choosing Rose was a bad idea. If you think Rose is someone who is good for you, you trust her and you have a strong relationship with her… Do I have the right to think lesser of you if you chose the thing that would make you happy?”

When you spoke out the last sentence, you felt your heart ache. You think that was the biggest problem with your relationship with Dave. You worried too much about what others would say. That pressure from the social norm was too hard for you to handle. But would being closer to Dave make you happier? Is risking your life worth it? You aren’t even sure what you felt towards him… You never felt these emotions before. Half of them bottled up, half of them so strong you can’t control them. Something about him made you obsessed. You felt like he understood you in a weird way, that you’re both outcasts that try too hard to fit in, but fail. You wanted to be next to him when he felt down. You wanted him to be there for you when you felt overwhelmed. You wanted him to take care of you, and you wanted to watch out for him. Even beyond just day-to-day working as his personal guard.  
You wanted to be something more to him.  
And realizing what you just thought about, realizing that you’ve fallen for him, brought tears to your eyes. The sheer anxiety of what will happen was too much for you. There is no good outcome. In one case, you’ll end up with him but be at risk of an execution if someone finds out. On the other hand, you’ll be forced to find another job far away from him since you’re aware of how bad strong feelings can affect you.

“Karkat? Karkat!” Kanaya called you, gently clenching your hands to snap you out of your thoughts. Tears rolled down your cheeks as you tried to gain control of your heartbeat again. She was worried. This was your second mild panic attack today, only about fifteen minutes away from the last one. All those bottled feelings are becoming too much for you.

“Do you want to talk about it?” her voice was mellow, calmed you down to a semi-normal state.

“I don’t think… I’m capable of living like this anymore”, you weren’t even trying to hide tears at this point. Your vision got blurry and you centered it at your hands. You felt ashamed that Kanaya is seeing you like this.

“Karkat, you can talk to me. You don’t have to do it now. You don’t have to do it today, nor tomorrow. You can tell me when you’re ready”, she still held onto your hands, hadn’t let go for a second.

“Do you worry? That someone is going to find out about you and Rose? Do you wake up at night in cold sweat thinking about what might happen to you? To Porrim? To Rose?” your eyes met. She stalled for a while, thinking about her answer.

“Every night”, she nodded, “but I always wake up with someone on my side. We cannot predict the future. I could get caught tomorrow, I could even be caught today. But I would know I am not alone. And I know Rose would fight for me. And I know that I wouldn’t have any regrets, because Rose is the person who brings a meaning to my life.”

You wondered for a bit. Nothing she had told you could clarify if she knew what you felt towards Dave, and you couldn’t risk telling her a secret like that. She could trust you. But can you trust her?  
“Nobody will hurt you, Karkat. I wouldn’t tell anyone, and neither would he.”

You paused, looked shockingly at her, and your ears turned up. She knows?! Does she? How can she be so sure?! But only one question was echoing louder in your head than the others.  
“You think… that he knows?”

She chuckled.  
“I cannot be sure. But even if he does, he wouldn’t tell anyone. He’s quite fond of you.”

You laughed at that comment.  
“I’m pretty fucking sure he doesn’t like me that much. He is irritated by the fact that I am needed as his babysitter.”

She went back to the couch, crossed her legs and dragged the long dress across the library floor. Her stance relaxed, she felt both of you were more at ease now, and noticed how your breathing and heart rate went back to normal. You noticed there was a slight smirk on the corner of her lips. Her glare was almost mocking you. Nothing malicious, only out of play.  
“Haven’t you noticed how much free time he spends with you? Walks around the castle, horseback riding, hunting, going to town… Even sparing. He wouldn’t be with you all that time if he hated you.”

You felt blood coloring your cheeks and tips of your ears. You couldn’t help but think about all the moments you’ve had together, all the time you laughed and joked around.  
“True, but I am certain it is nothing more than that.”

“We shall see…” You felt as if she knew more than she told you, but you decided not to ask further questions. All this worry has made you exhausted. And hungry. You remembered why you came here in the first place.

“We should get on our way to the dining hall. I am sure the others are waiting for us”, you got up the chair, moved towards Kanaya and offered her your hand. She nodded as a sign of gratitude, and stood up. You opened the door for her, and she waited for you in the hallway as you closed the door behind yourself. She grabbed you under your arm and you started walking down the hallway. You looked silly together walking like this. She was at least a head taller than you, her horns giving her even more extra height. But neither of you minded, you actually found it both amusing.  
You felt how her stance went back to her natural one, relaxed but with poise. She didn’t give out any signs of worry, and that made you feel better. You easily got back to how things were before, and you felt even closer to her now. You knew you could trust her, that she understands you. And that made you feel at peace.

 

As you came down to the dining hall you realized everybody has been waiting for you. They all turned around, glared at you and Kanaya until you reached your seats. You saw how some of them were smirking at how you accompanied her to the table, her arm rested under yours. Roxy laughed under her breath and waved her head. Her reaction was much different from Nepeta, who was staring at you with a raised eyebrow and a playful smile. You wonder if she knew about Rose and Kanaya. Her and Rose were really close, and she was also fond of Kanaya. There was no reason for her not to know. But why was she looking at you like that?  
Everyone relaxed and turned their attention to the food on the table. The royals started lively discussing some formal topic regarding other families, while the knights focused on other themes.

“You and Kanaya seem to be pretty close? What’s that all about? Are you guys together or something?” Nepeta started taking some food onto her plate. You coughed to clear your throat. That was a difficult question.

“I do not think it is of any concern for you”, you said politely. But in other words you just told her to fuck off. She didn’t take it personally. Just laughed.

“Touchy subject I see”, she giggled while biting into a piece of chicken.

“Has anybody noticed how there was no snow this year? At least not here. The trees haven’t even changed color”, Feferi commented. She sensed there would be an awkward silence at the table if she didn't react. There was a look of disappointed while she looked around to see if anybody will respond. She seemed to like cold weather and was missing it.

“It’s because of Jane’s power. Actually, more because of her essence”, Equius raised his head.

“How so?” asked Tavros, picking over the vegetables on his plate.

“Well, Janey is a Maid of fucking life. She’s like, made of it or something. Unlike other witches who drain energy or shit from the ground, she’s the one who creates the motherfucking juice. It goes on for miles. Like some fucking life bubble”, Gamzee added, waving his hands around to illustrate how enormous her power actually is. Feferi opened her eyes wider in amazement then glanced at Jane who was laughing at her seat casually chatting with Jade.

“She’s very powerful then”, Gamzee nodded at that remark.

“I am a Witch of Life myself, but I could never be able to project such energy. Especially not during winter”, she said, looking at her hands. You doubted she was only amazed, there was jealousy in her voice. Not much, but it was there. Although, you don’t think it’s because of selfish reasons. Feferi strikes you as a kind of person who would actually want to have stronger magic powers to help others, not make herself stronger.

“It is almost spring now. Even on the outskirts of the kingdom the snow is starting to melt”, Equius corrected her.

“Oh my! Time really flies by!” she chuckled.

“Isn’t the birthday of the Prince of Breath soon?” Tavros asked.

“It is. That’s why we came here in the first place”, you rolled your eyes.

“Well, we came because of the celebration”, Tavros giggled. Honestly, you are almost done with everybody at this table.

“Oh! Also because of the coronation!” Feferi exclaimed out of excitement.

“There will be a large ball! A lot of other kings, queens, princes and princesses are invited! It is going to be the biggest celebration ever held in this Kingdom! At least that’s what Jane has told me”, Feferi smiled.  
You didn’t really find the idea of a huge ball alluring. Large crowds make you nervous. Especially if they’re filled with pretentious bastards. They are all probably going to comment on your blood color. Not to mention that they’ll shit on all the other low bloods as well. Tavros, Nepeta and you should maybe stay in your rooms for the night. You’re sure Nepeta isn’t even that interested in such a formal event. Tavros can’t even really dance… And you… Well, you could maybe dance. You aren’t sure. You never tried. Now that you think of it, you were never formally invited to a ball. Do knights even attend balls? Are they allowed to dance? Probably not. They are not royalty after all, and this is a formal event.

You spent the rest of the dinner wondering about it. You wanted to at least experience it once. You’ve heard stories about balls. Well, mostly read about them. They are places of great fashion, exquisite cuisine, important people, and the most incredible love stories. Although, you don’t have any experience on how to act there. You aren’t sure if you need to ask someone else if they want to dance with you, since you are a man, or are the women the ones who ask for dances? Some books say it’s men, some say women, and now you’re confused. What if somebody asks you to dance and you don’t want to? Can you decline? Wait… What if another trolls asks you to dance? You surely can’t dance with royalty, but maybe you could with other trolls. You could dance with Kanaya. Or Feferi. They would surely say yes. You’re really getting ahead of yourself. Maybe the best thing is to ask Jane about it. She’s the one who organizes it, and you are sure she’s attended many balls before. If you are allowed to attend, you at least want to be prepared for everything that might happen during it. So you decide to talk to her later.

 

As dinner finished up, some left to get to their room for an afternoon rest. Rose went back to the library to finish up her journal. Roxy, John, Jade and Jake went to the drawing room, a room meant for entertainment. It had a few chess tables, then a large table for card games, some shelves with books, a fireplace, and a view of the backyard through the windows. Their knights accompanied them, along with some others. Dave went back to his room. He has avoided all recreation that included the possibility of his brothers attending. Dirk seemed uninterested in talking to him, at least he didn’t mention talking to him or trying to fix the situation. David couldn’t really do anything. You presume he wants to stay out of Dave’s way. But you noticed how he was exhaling earlier. He’s feeling rather vulnerable being ignored by everyone, especially Dave. Even though the other cousins aren’t thinking ill of him, even you can feel the high tension in the room. After all, he is an imposter in their eyes.  
Kanaya was waiting for you. She obviously wanted to talk to you. Maybe ask you how you feel about what happened earlier. She probably just wanted to check on how you’re doing. You didn’t mind that, but she worries too much. It was shocking, but you’re not a fucking grub anymore. As you went towards Jane, she decided to accompany you.

“Excuse me, my Lady, I wanted to talk to you if you could spare the time”, you bowed slightly. Although you were in her castle for some time, she still deserved all your respect and formality. Dave was used to your crude informality and insults, but you would never address her as something other than a highly respected queen.

“Of course, Sir Vantas! Why don’t you join me in my study and we’ll talk there. I think a more private surrounding is best suited for now, is it?”

“I would prefer it as such, yes.”

“Now then, let us go. I presume you have nothing against Lady Kanaya joining us? It seems she has already decided to come with us”, Jane chuckled. You affirmed her that it was perfectly alright, moreover, you actually thought you’ll be more confortable if she went with you. You were nervous of what Jane might say about the matter, that she might find you rather amusing while you are just curious.

Jane opened the door to her study, a large room filled with bookcases around the walls. There was a large table in the back, right in front of two tall windows. The curtains were pulled aside letting in a lot of natural light towards the center of the table, while the back of the room was darker. You liked that, you could sit right in front of the table in one of the chairs and not be hit with direct sunlight. Where there was place, there was a flowerpot. Vines grew over the bookcases, and around some of the older books that haven’t been touched in a while. This was the first time you entered the room and you were surprised to see so much flora growing around. You knew Jane was obsessed with nature and tried to connect her castle to plants and the forest as much as she could, but you thought she mostly kept her plants outside of the actual walls of the castle.  
“Please, sit down if you would like. I hope you will not mind if I tend to my plants. I haven’t watered them yet today, and some of them need extra care”, she said and proceeded to the back of the room where she grabbed a metal watering pot. You noticed it was filled with water already, she probably filled it up earlier. Or she had a faucet somewhere on the wall. You wouldn’t be surprised.  
Kanaya and you walked towards the chairs. She sat down and crossed her legs. You found yourself staring at Jane while she tended to her flowers. You found that rather calming.

“What did you want to talk about, Sir Vantas?” You slightly flinched, getting back to reality.

“I was curious about the ball next month.”

“Anything specific?” she went on towards the vine which was growing out of the big pot in the front left corner of the room.

Now that you think about it. Your question really might be ridiculous. You were worried what she might think of you as foolish. You wonder if the other knights know about the ball and its rules. You are sure they do. Why have you come here? This was a stupid idea.  
Kanaya looked at you, she nodded her head in Jane’s direction encouraging you to speak up.  
“Are knights… supposed to attend the ball?”

Jane chuckled, but it wasn’t meant as a mocking gesture.  
“I assume you never went to a ball yourself, Sir Vantas.”

You felt blood pumping to your cheeks. She didn’t seem to be making fun of you, but you felt like she was, unknowingly. You looked at your hands, trying to hide the embarrassment and the slight anger, anger that was not addressed at her but at yourself. Why have you decided to go through this?

“But yes, knights are expected to attend the ball. If they wish, of course”, she turned around and went to the other side of the room, giving you an honest smile.

“Most of them are there for protection of the royalty, which makes sense. It is a great event, and many unwelcomed guests may come. Having knights at a ball is completely normal. There are some who stand on the side and keep themselves away from socialization. They look over the situation, function as an addition to the guards”, she realized she had no more water in her pot so she went to put it down near the door, then walked towards the back where she took the first one from, and took another one. She continued with her watering.

“But some of them engage in dancing and socializing. It _is_ a ball after all.”

“I have attended a few myself. Even been asked to dance along with the royalty”, Kanaya added.

“So trolls are allowed to dance in the same group as royalty?” you asked first looking at Jane, then at Kanaya who nodded in response.

“As a matter of fact, yes. I have also been asked to dance by royalty too. After a few glasses of wine, most of them don’t care if their female company is a troll or not”, she chuckled.

“It is not a segregated event, Sir Vantas, if this is what you came here to ask. It is a celebration! And a celebration is no place for fights about social statuses. Although there are going to be people who won’t be happy to see trolls dancing alongside them. I cannot do anything about that, which is a shame”, she sighed, “Good company is always welcome, but it usually brings unwelcomed company along.”

“Unfortunately we have no say against royalty, and I think you are very much aware of that, Karkat”, Kanaya said powerlessly. You sighed. This is what you feared. This meant that if somebody said something against you socializing at a ball, you would be asked to leave, no matter who asked you to dance or who initiated the conversation.

“But! There are going to be games knights can participate in! Earlier in the evening there are going to be dragon races, hunting games, duels, chess tournaments, gambling! Whatever you can think of!” Jane said enthusiastically and put down the second pot.

“It is an all-day event?” you were confused. You thought that the ball is usually in the evening, and all the preparations that need to be made for it are to be settled on the day of the ball so there couldn’t be any other events going around in the castle before the ball.

“Usually not! But I am going to make it the biggest celebration anybody has ever seen!” she rushed towards her desk and sat down, going through the drawers to find something.

“Ah! Here it is! My rough draft for the day!” she exclaimed. Kanaya and you exchanged a startled glance. Jane pulled out a piece of rolled paper, which she unrolled in front of you, showing the true length of the list. She adjusted her glasses on top of her nose, then went on to read what it says.

“First thing in the morning is finishing up the final parts of the coronation installment. We are to head to the top of the cliff where the throne is located, where my coronation has taken place. It is a beautiful sight, and I am going to decorate it perfectly for the event. It has enough space for all the attendees, and a lot of common people are willing to come so they are going to have enough space to see it as well. Royalty is going to be close by of course, and _we_ are going to be right in the first row. I am planning out a whole show with the dragons. That reminds me, you are all fine with that idea? We are going to be working the whole month on the choreography. Nothing too complicated, mostly playing with fire”, she chuckled then looked at you in hope you got the joke. You sighed and Kanaya smiled.

“We would have nothing against it, and I am sure neither would the other knights”, she said. Jane was glad about that response.

“Oh! How rude of me! I am sure you are interested in what I have organized, but it is quite boring to hear about. Especially now after lunch when you would much rather take a rest, correct?” Jane nervously rolled the paper.

“Your plan is very thoughtful, my Lady, but I feel like the others should hear it as well, that we should all come together and go through it”, Kanaya proposed. Jane put the paper back in the drawer and quickly closed it with a slam.

“You are absolutely right, Miss Maryam! I shall summon the others one of these days and you can all advise me on the plan! I am sure Roxy and Rose will be eager to help me out. Jade should too! The men might find it boring though”, she chuckled and got up. This was a sign for you to get up too. Jane went with you to the door which you held open for the two ladies, then closed the door behind yourself.

“I am sure they will find a way to help. They might be able to organize the hunting games and the races.”

“You are right! I shall think about all of this some more. But please!” she exclaimed worriedly, “no word to my brother.”

“We wouldn’t think of it, my Lady”, you confirmed. She let out a sigh of relief.

“Now, please excuse me, I have some business to attend in the kitchen”, she said. Kanaya and you bowed then turned to the other way.

 

You were walking down the hall in order to reach the drawing room and to join the others in some card games. You had enough of reading for one day. You think you might avoid the library in a while. You still felt anxious about finding out about Kanaya’s and Rose’s relationship. It only made you think more of Dave and your feelings for him.  
You came to the doors of the room. You could already hear the laughter coming from the inside. You weren’t really up for socializing so you paused in front. You weren’t in the mood for talking to people. Honestly, you wanted to go grab some books about balls and on etiquette to prepare yourself for next month, so you don’t screw something up as usual. Kanaya noticed you felt asocial at the moment, but still didn’t want to leave your side. She now knew you were interested in the ball, and even might started scheming some plans involving you. She smirked.

“Would you like to go outside? I think I have an excellent idea of how to waste your time”, she didn’t wait for your response, just continued to walk down the hall to reach the exit. You opened your mouth to ask what the fuck does she want, but decided to just follow her. Maybe she just wanted to grab some fresh air. Or talk to Kankri, invite Porrim to converse with you.  
As you reached the outdoors she started talking again, chose to give you a few more information about her plan.

“I actually took these shoes to wear today because they are great for lacquered floors. They won’t slip on polished surfaces.”

“If they are specially designed for indoor spaces, why the hell are you deciding to use them outside?” you were slightly irritated by her choice of action. Kanaya wasn’t stupid, but this was on one hand, even a lot of hands, really fucking idiotic.

You reached the backyard where Kankri was laying under the warm sun right in front of the glasshouse. He lifted his head up, his ears facing your direction. He was surprised you came, and you felt embarrassed because you haven’t seen him in a few days. He maintained his indistinct expression with a pinch of disapproval, his usual stare.  
“Good Afternoon, Lady Kanaya”, he lowered his head out of respect, she nodded in return.

“Good Afternoon, Kankri. I hope we won’t be bothering here. We won’t be too loud.”

“Of course not. I do believe you’ll keep to your word, although I do not know about Karkat.”  
You flipped him off before Kanaya turned to look at your reaction. Kankri seemed amused with your response, a smug expression showed on his face as his tail started moving tensely across the grass. Now you don’t feel as bad for not visiting him.

Kanaya started taking off her shoes. You were perplexed. Didn’t she just say moments ago that she chose these shoes specially for this? Although, she was pretty vogue about that…

“I believe I will be more comfortable barefoot, than with these hard shoes on. They look pretty, but they are awfully painful. And personally, I love walking on this grass. It is much softer than anywhere else”, she lifted her dress a few inches so it wouldn’t drag across the floor as she made a few steps around to enjoy the gentle grass blades.

“Do you… want me to take off my shoes as well? What the fuck are we even doing?”

“No, you don’t need to”, she gave you a soft smile.

“Your shoes are comfortable enough.”

“For fucking what, Kanaya?!”

She let go of her dress, first looked at Kankri, then at you. She extended her hand towards you, making you accept it.

“I am going to teach you…”, she took a few graceful steps so she could face you, putting her other hand on your shoulder, “…how to dance.”


	13. Never start an argument

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I have pretty much disapeared for the last half a year or so, but I had some time over the spring break to get back to writting. :)  
> I honestly missed it so much and had fun with the next few chapters!  
> Yes, few! Another 2 are going to follow right after I post this one! :)
> 
> Hope you are still sticking with me and my story, and that you like the new chapter!

“One two three, one two three…”, Kanaya was repeating in a strict manner while holding her hand firmly on your shoulder. She would dig her nails into your skin if you made a wrong step or if you were out of balance. “Dancing is perfectly graceful”, she would say, “Everything lies in the technique and skill.” You were not the best at being graceful. In the beginning your legs would get tangled up; sometimes you would wind up on the floor. Now, a week and a half later, you felt more confident in the way you were moving. It wasn’t as hard as you primarily thought. The moves were similar in different dances, and Kanaya usually pointed out how to remember them more easily. She demanded perfection, which was hard to offer, but you tried nonetheless.  
Kankri would lazily watch you from the side, commenting on how it looked from another perspective, suggesting small tweaks in your leg positions to make it all look better. That gesture was extremely annoying, but you did want to get better, and everything helps. You did, however, curse at him a couple of times because you noticed that he would always comment in the middle of the exercise, not while you were going over things or resting.  
Nobody in the castle knew you two were practicing. Except Rose. Kanaya needed to excuse herself every time so her queen demanded an explanation. Although, she didn’t mind, she actually encouraged it. Some of the dragons saw you from the cliff behind the castle. Meulin would watch down with a curious expression, sitting next to Porrim who was probably explaining what was going on. They have flown down a couple of times, but after you started feeling irritated by their constant talking in the background, they were asked to leave. The other dragons weren’t interested in what you were doing. Most of them were out with their knights, hunting or socializing. You noticed how Feferi would go see Meenah every day after lunch. You could see her leaving from the castle into the forest, since Meenah preferred to stay in the upper part of the nearby river which was further away from the castle than the cliff.

“Have you heard about the trip to the town Jane planned out for tomorrow?” Kanaya asked during practice.

“I remember she has mentioned it, but I forgot that it was scheduled for tomorrow. She hasn’t been talking about it much”, you responded.

“We are to escort the queens and kings to the city where they are to buy new clothes”, she explained keeping her gaze over your shoulder, where it should be, and not initiating eye contact. You rolled your eyes.

“Like they don’t have anything else to spend their motherfucking money on. Don’t they have enough fucking clothes already?”

“While they certainly do have a collection of luxurious clothes, it is common that they buy a new outfit specially meant for the ball or celebration. It would be rude to attend the event in the clothes you already wore before, on another ball or even around their castle.”

“That is the utter most stupid thing I have ever heard”, you grinded your teeth.

“It may be stupid, but it is tradition. And you are to do it as well.”

You stopped and took a step back, putting your hands in front of you while you tried to recollect what you were just told.

“They expect me to fucking respect their extravagant fashion choices and possibly end up in poverty because of it?! I do not own endless rivers of glistening gold that I could jauntily spend on insignificant expenses!”

“Karkat, you cannot attend the ball wearing… this!” she pointed at you with her arms while having a disgusted expression. You were about to object to that by raising your finger and already opening your mouth ready to yell, but she was faster and cut your of.

“Please, do not say anything in the means of ‘my clothes are fine’. They are undeniably not. You are currently wearing a dirty old shirt that has holes on the stitches. Your pants are of a rough, hard material that could be used as a kitchen rag. Your shoes are outdated riding boots. You would be a disgrace if you came looking like that. You would embarrass everyone!” she cried out. You crossed your arms in opposition, but knew she was right. You sighed.

“I am sure you have some saved money you keep aside. New clothes aren’t going to be a waste of it. You are in dire need of some.”

“Fine”, you mumbled, querulously admitting defeat.

“You could throw out the old ones. Truthfully, I believe all the dirt collected over the years cannot even be washed from them anymore. You could purchase some new saddle blankets. These became so worn out and thin that my back hurts for a week after the ride. And a new saddle would be nice. They surely have some softer ones in town. And some that have a nicer design”, Kankri added, looking towards all the things laying on the floor in the greenhouse.

You obviously wanted to object to his proposal, but decided to keep your mouth shut. He was right. Those saddle blankets he used were quite old. Some of the stains don’t even come out anymore. You’re not wondering aimlessly through unpopulated forests anymore, you are actually a royal knight, and it might be time you started dressing like one. You sighed.  
“Okay, you’re getting some new blankets. And a saddle. But! That means you cannot complain on the way to the town and back!” Kankri rolled his eyes.

 

Later in the evening you have been going through your stuff. You put all the money you had on one pile, while you started going through the things you had in your bags. Most of the things were in the greenhouse, at least the stuff you couldn’t wear inside the castle since they were inappropriate. You didn’t have much of your belongings in your room, just some clean shirts and pants, and your armor. You couldn’t keep your armor in the greenhouse, the moisture would make it rot away under the rust. So all the things laid out in front of you are supposed to be thrown away.  
Kankri was watching over you, making sure you are going to get rid of those filthy rags. He wore an expression of disgust as you went over the old blankets he stopped using years ago, but you decided to keep in case of need.

“Those did come in pretty handy when you cried all night during that snowstorm because it was cold”, you pointed out. Kankri was obviously not convinced in their significance.

“They are also the reason we were avoided by all living things for the next week.”

“I believe it is your usual odor that drove them away”, you chuckled.

“Very mature”, he commented and slithered pass you to get some fresh air.

You looked over the clothes in front of you with a feeling of nostalgia. You remember all those moments you had while wearing them. Most of them were training clothes, so you remembered the times Kankri and you sparred together. You must have been an interesting sight. A knight fighting his own dragon. Ridiculous.  
Why are you so emotional over getting rid of these stupid clothes? Maybe you’re afraid you’ll lose your memory, forget everything and then these pieces of shit right here, that smell like a decayed body of a wild animal that’s been eaten away by maggots and flies, will be the only thing that will remind you of the emotions you once felt. Or maybe it was because you fear the people you connect to these materialistic things will wither away themselves into nothingness, and these clothes will be the only thing to keep you grounded, to keep reminding you that the pain is real and that they are truly gone from this world.  
You shake your head.

“Hey Kankri, you ready?”  
The dragon stretched and you noticed the dark circle of naked ground which was cleared of grass. In order to keep the fire under control it was vital to clear off the area from any vegetation. You brought the pile of clothes in the center, returning a few times to the greenhouse in order to bring it all. After you were done you sat next to Kankri, scratched your head and watched the dragon light up the clothes with the fire coming from his belly. The flame rose up to the night sky, smoke reaching up to the clouds. You observed the blaze in silence, getting hypnotized by its changing shapes until you drowsed off to sleep.

 

Morning came soon. There was a lot of noise going around in the front garden of the castle. All the queens and kings were chattering with each other. You saw Dave and John standing slightly on the side, talking to one another. You could hear it was about some frivolous matter, they laughed a few times. You found yourself smiling. Probably because the thought of seeing Dave happy, made you happy too. Although you could notice how he was still stiff. You guess it was because Dirk was standing so close to him, only a few feet behind his back, talking to Roxy and David.  
You came closer, Kankri behind you with his saddle and reins already on. You noticed most of the other knights didn’t have their dragons with them. Tavros was there already on top of Rufioh. You guess it was easier for him to sit, than to stand this last half an hour before they departed. Others didn’t think of him as rude, they knew he was more comfortable like this. Rufioh laid down so Tavros could be almost at eye level with people he was talking with. Nepeta was leaning on Meulin who was laying on the soft grass. They were talking to Feferi who was obviously going to ride with them. Meenah was too big, and not interested enough, to go with them into town and try to pass through narrow streets.  
Kanaya waved at you from the middle of the group. Next to her stood Rose, she was talking to Jane and Jade.

“Want to stay here or come with me?” you asked Kankri.

“I find big crowds uncomfortable, and you know that. Besides, I have no interest in what boring matters the humans are discussing”, he laid down on the grass. You rolled your eyes. He was so irritating, thinking himself proud.  
You hurried towards Kanaya. Rose was surprised since she didn’t see you coming from behind her. You apologized for frightening her. Jane pointed out she is very happy to see you decided to come with them. From what she heard from Dave, you didn’t care too much about fashion. You aren’t that surprised to hear that, but thought he could’ve kept his mouth shut. This sounded like you’re a slob.  
You laughed the comment off, scratching the back of your head in embarrassment.

“While it is true fashion isn’t one of my interest, I agreed that it was the time to get some new clothes. Yesterday Kanrki and I decided it was time to get rid of the things I couldn’t use anymore. He’s also been complaining about his saddle, so I guess some shopping should be underway.”

Jade chuckled.  
“How come your dragon doesn’t have wings? I never saw such a dragon before. And I’ve travelled a lot when I was younger”, Jade asked. Her question wasn’t something ill-thought. She had a very curious nature, and you didn’t take it against her. But the question did bother you. You cleared your throat before speaking.

“We have… a genetic flaw. Well! Not a flaw. An alternation”, you corrected yourself. You knew how much Kankri hated you calling it a flaw. It made him feel better when you called it as something unusual, not something bad. It was a way to deal with it, to make it sound better as it was. And you know it is troubling him enough just seeing other dragons.

“That’s really interesting! People must think of you as very special!” she exclaimed with an effervescent manner. You stood shocked. You don’t remember anyone making a comment that would make your mutation sound as a miracle of nature. This made you show a slight smile on the corner of your lips as you thanked her.

“Oh! I think I see Sir Captor finally called his dragon down!” Jane said pointing at the yellow four-winged dragon in the sky.

“How come they’re coming down only now? Everybody else is already here”, you asked, covering your eyes from the sun as you watched the dragon fly down.

“Sir Captor’s dragon has some mental troubles. Sometimes he doesn’t hear when his knight is calling him. And Sollux usually predicts when the dragon won’t hear him. He needs to come up and calm him before they can take off”, Jade explained.

“That’s a lot of work”, you commented.

“They sometimes argue about it, pretty loudly I might say. But Sollux understands what Mituna is going through, he’s supportive of him”, she added.

“I see we’re finally ready to go”, Dave came from behind along with John. He put one of his hands on your shoulder and leaned on it. You gave him a quick glance which mostly meant _what the fuck are you doing_ , but he didn’t notice.

“Yes, Sir Captor will be down in a minute now”, Jane smiled.

“Meanwhile you could go get your horse, Dave. I noticed you were mindfully wasting your time over there with John while you could’ve been doing the same while going to the stables”, Rose gave him a sly smirk and lifted her chin in an act to banter him. You couldn’t really see, but you were sure he was rolling his eyes under his glasses.

As he was leaving with John, he turned around, still walking to the stables only backwards now, and pointed at you saying: “Vantas! You’ll be riding behind me and John!”  
You sighed. You didn’t have anything against that, but did he need to fucking yell across half the meadow to tell you this?

You needed some time till you reached the city. There were many guards around you, four in the front, four in the back, one to the side of each king or queen. The path felt narrow because of that, and you felt Kankri was getting uncomfortable with so many people around him. You pet him a few times on the side of his neck to ensure he’s doing fine, but didn’t change your posture. You wanted to keep it as subtle as possible. Kanrki wouldn’t say anything, but you felt the heavy feeling in his chest faded away for a moment after you patted him. John and Dave were always lively discussing some current events and gossips. They were mostly talking about the upcoming ball, who will be there, and what Jane has in plan. You couldn’t join the conversation because you were behind them, but they would sometimes turn back to you to ask you something. They wanted to keep you entertained on the long road. Which you appreciated since they were closest to you. Behind you there was Jake riding alongside Dirk and you didn’t have any interest in talking to them. Although Sir David was riding right next to you, serving as one of the guards, you were still feeling uncomfortable with him. You don’t know how Dave might act if his knight started talking to his stepbrother, who was accepted by Dirk. Well, they seemed, in any case, much closer than Dave and Dirk were. David seemed to stand out from everyone. You guess he knows that, and he’s probably in a difficult situation right now. You can’t do much about it.

The town glistened under the midday heat. The streets were filled with commotion, from people selling their merchandise on stands, to little kids playing in the middle of the streets. Your caravan was fairly noticeable, and people would move around so you could all pass and paused with awe. You heard women gasping, kids excitedly laughing and pointing at the royalty, men commenting on their stance. There were some politic remarks you decided to ignore. Some people didn’t agree with Jane’s method of ruling, but you think she does a pretty good job. You don’t notice a lot of poverty around, so you guess most of the people have enough to put food on the table. Then again, you’ve only properly visited and explored only this city in her kingdom.  
It took you about an hour to reach the core of the town which was a round square with a farmers marked spread across the middle. In the very center there was a huge oak tree with gnarled branches which extended above most of the farmers market. The immense trunk was engraved with centuries-old furrows, the lower ones taken off and damaged from so many people touching it, the higher ones still intact. The tree was obviously praised and respected in the city’s culture. Many people left flowers on lower branches, put lanterns over the branches, attached ribbons to some twigs. You noticed some kids were playing around in the upper parts of it, some homeless people were taking a rest at the bigger branches.  
Even though the farmers market looked filled with all kinds of interesting and high-quality products, Jane was aiming at the stores on the edges of the square. The tall, narrow buildings were filled with details and colors. Most had elements of nature drawn on the walls, windows had numerous flower pots sorted out in front of them. Your group headed to the left, followed by people running towards the royalty and showing products to them. The guards stopped them, but Jane didn’t ignore her subjects. She got off the horse and examined a few products, carefully examined some fabrics and fruit, made a purchase here and there, then turned to one of her servants who packet it all up in a large case. There were multiple cases in-between the horses, a few servants standing next to each one. You speculate every king and queen gets one as storage for their purchases.

 

“Here we are!” Jane exclaimed, showing a large wooden door with a hanging metal sign above it featuring an engraved needle and a fabric roll.

The others got of their horses, handling the reins to their servants and then entering the building after Jane. You got off Kankri, looking around you to see if there was a place where he could be more comfortable. The other dragons could just fly away and find a quit place on some roof, while Kankri would cause quite a commotion if he decided to travel through the streets without you accompanying him.

“Will you be alright?” you asked, getting the reins out of his way so they won’t bother him.

“I assure you that I am capable of taking care of myself. I am certain I have actually rescued you out of uncomfortable situations more times than you have me”, he laid down onto the floor and waved his tail to get into a better position.

“Why the fuck do I even care…”, you growled and rolled your eyes, opening the door and disappearing into the darkened interior of the building.

You needed a moment for your eyes to adjust from the bright sun to the candlelight. There was a weird smell flowing through the air; some mixture of old wood and flower perfume, mixed with a pinch of exhaust from some kind of machine. You heard the commotion of people running around and commenting on clothes. The space was obviously not as small as you thought. As you rubbed your eyes to make them work again, you started to notice the sheer size of the shop.  
There were dresses everywhere! In the middle, on the side, some even hanging off the wall. Ribbons and small colorful laces laid on the ground, pearls were hanging from some racks, threads were coming out of every angle. There were corsets around the window displays, and fabric rolls just messily dropped around the room. You have no fucking idea why Jane decided to go to this hellhole of a dress shop. How is anybody expecting to find clothes for a ball here? True, there are some nice pieces you saw on the first glimpse, but is she fucking serious?

“Oh! Karkat! There you are. Do you mind helping me choose a dress?” Kanaya appeared in front of you, holding an emerald dress over her hand. You haven’t even noticed you because of how you were so utterly disgusted with this establishment.

“What the fuck are we doing here?”

Kanaya gave you a confused look.  
“What do you mean by that? This is obviously a dress shop. And I thought you were informed that we were getting some new clothes for the ball.”

“Ok, there’s a difference between being utterly stupid, and uniformed. And I am neither! How the fuck do you expect to find a dress in this place?”

She chuckled.  
“The others are on the second floor, there’s even more clothes to choose from up there. The seamstress has her workshop on this floor, that’s why you might perceive it as untidy, but the upper floors are decent”, she turned around, signaling you to follow her. A sudden feel of embarrassment came over you because you didn’t like clothes shopping, and you weren’t sure are you supposed to buy something here, or are you going to another shop later as well, how you are all going to pay for this, and how long is everything going to take. There was a lot of things to consider, and you were nervous about every single thing you could think of.

As you reached the second floor, you saw a cleaner space. There was much more light coming from the windows, the walls were colored into a bright orange, and there were no fabric parts all over the dresses and the racks. You noticed Rose was sitting on the armchair while looking at Jane and Jade picking clothes. Roxy was right behind commenting on some suit John picked out. She was holding her chin and squinting to make herself concentrate on whether he was making the right decision. Jake was excitedly going over some suits next to John. He couldn’t decide which one to pick since he found all of them so utterly amazing. Dave was trying to reason with him and tell him that a mustard colored suit is certainly not his fucking color. Dirk and David were standing to the side, loudly discussing if orange did go with fuchsia. Dirk was holding some lavish pink suit with golden details on stitches, David was raising his eyebrow at the choice. His argument is how Dirk always wears pink suits and should consider dropping the color even if he does only wear it for some kind of “irony”.

“Aren’t we missing some people?” you asked Kanaya looking around the room in order to spot the trolls.

“Ah yes! There’s another floor over us, as well as a stairway that leads to a room in the back. Maybe they have decided to explore the clothing there”, Kanaya nodded in the direction of the other rooms. You decided to stick with her though.

 

“Hey, Vantas!” Dave yelled when you reached the center of the room. You turned, but running into a rack of dresses right behind you which then fell on the floor with a loud bang. You immediately slapped your face with your hand, your cheeks turning red as you let out half of the curses you knew. Others giggled, but quickly jumped to help you. The dresses were soon standing back where they were before, and everyone got back to their business. Kanaya slid towards Roxy and Jane to comment on a dress Jane found. She mumbled something about the dress having too much patterned fabric and would distract the audience away from Jane, and Jane should be the sole center of the display.  
You felt a hand land on your shoulder. Your ears rose slightly in surprise, but you knew it was Dave since you forgot to respond to him after he called for you.

“Have you picked out anything?” he asked, looking at your hands and realizing they weren’t holding anything.  
“I guess not”, he laughed.

“I hate the human sense of fashion. Why the fuck do clothes matter in your society? Everyone would be more comfortable wearing some stupid pants and a plain shirt”, you growled.

“Shopping for clothes is pretty boring, but the sooner you pick something out, the sooner we’re out of here.”

“I wish we could just be out of here”, you rolled your eyes looking at the piles of suits and dresses around you. Dave went quiet for a moment so you looked over your shoulder to see what he was up to. He definitely zoned out, so you sighed.

“Listen, I’m not really feeling this either. I’m pretty sure I can find a fitting suit somewhere in my closet. Then again, I could also attend the ball in my pajamas… I bet the other royalty would find it pretty fucking funny”, he commented, laughing as he stroke the fabric of the white suit on the rack right next to him. You raised your eyebrow and crossed your arms.

“I don’t like your human traditions, but I’m pretty sure Kanaya would beat your ass if you actually tried to pull it off.”

“Shhh! She might hear you, you idiot!” Dave lowered his head trying to hide behind some dresses as he looked over in Kanaya’s direction. She did look confused as she turned around trying to see if somebody called her. Luckily, Jake trotted towards her in order to ask her about an opinion on the design of a jacket he picked out.

“I think you would be safer if you decided to wear a dress”, you commented, primarily to yourself. As you realized you said that out loud, you turned to Dave who already had a slight smirk on the corner of his lips.

“Don’t you fucking dare!” you threatened him by putting your finger on his chest. He laughed it off, assured you he’s going to consider not doing it.  
There was a moment of silence as you both watched Kanaya pick out a bright orange jacket with gold lace and pearls from one of the higher racks. Jake stood behind her, carefully watching what she picked out. She pulled the jacket in front of him, made a few inaudible remarks, and he replied by showing excitement. She made another comment, which was followed by him making a gesture of finger guns accompanied by a wink. Kanaya sighed and rolled her eyes. He was grateful for her help.

“Hey, give me like 15 minutes to quickly pick something out, then meet me here again”, Dave said and disappeared after running up the stairs. You found yourself standing alone again, not really sure what to do next.

“Karkat!” you heard Roxy yell out. “I found something for you!”  
You turned in the direction from which her voice was coming from and noticed her hand waving behind some dresses. Your ears pointed upward from curiosity so you proceeded towards her.

“Isn’t this perfect?” she said as you came closer. In her hands there was a maroon tailcoat with golden lace details on the seams. The sleeves were made out of patterned fabric, blood red patterns on a lighter background. At the end of it there were some golden buttons combined with gold strings. The pants that went with it were rust brown, slightly loose. They went along with high boots, and he would need to stick the pants inside the shoes. The suit was lavish, but still resembled the look of a soldier uniform, which you found quite interesting, and you liked it. You went over the fabric with your hand, feeling the soft velvety texture of it. There was no doubt it was extremely comfortable.

“Try it out!” Kanaya excitedly nodded in the direction of the changing room. You felt a little uneasy about that, blood rushed into your cheeks as Kanaya pushed you into the small room.

As you were left behind the curtains, you looked at the suit in your hands. You were not too fond of fancy clothing, but something about this one made you feel… weird? Even though you were trying to suppress it, you were excited. You weren’t exactly sure why. Maybe it was because if this jacket fits you, it means you finally got a formal uniform. Which means you actually have a job that requires you to wear it, that makes you important, that gives you an appearance. In a strange and subtle way, it confirms that you are in fact the royal knight, a personal guard for the Prince of Time. You had this job for a long time now, but… This makes it seem more real than it ever was. You are finally becoming somebody, somebody that isn’t just an incompetent mutant. You squeezed the clothes in your hand as a small smile of content appeared and your eyes got a little puffy. You brushed it off quickly. Crying over clothes. Can you even get sappier than that, Karkat? You’re a fucking disgrace.  
You took off the things you had on, and started putting on the suit. You put on pants without a problem, took your belt and put it on since they were still a little loose around the hips. Then you started putting on the coat. First the undershirt, then the jacket. You buttoned up, adjusted the sleeves and the fabric on the bottom. There was no mirror on in the changing room. You remember there’s one right outside, just left of the curtain of the changing room. You checked if everything was in the right place, if the fabric was folding somewhere where it shouldn’t be, before stepping out.  
You were greeted by Kanaya, Rose, and Jade who happened to be passing by in order to talk to Rose about a dress she saw, but stopped because her path was cut off by you. Her expression went from startled to astounded. Even though she didn’t know you for very long, she was aware you weren’t very fond of formal clothes. She actually never saw you in anything other than your simple tunic and pants, and of course, your armor. After the first second of surprise, she blinked and brightly smiled, showing her white teeth.

“You look stunning, Sir Vantas!” she commented with exuberance.

“Lady Jade is right, it does look lovely on you”, Kanaya gave you a gentle smile.  
You felt your cheeks burning up as you looked in the mirror. It was definitely a perfect fit, complimenting your figure and giving you a strict look.

“Of course, you’re going to need a pair of shoes that go with it because the ones you’re currently wearing are way too run down”, Rose said while examining the suit on you.

“And you’re going to need a proper shave and a haircut”, she chuckled. You squinted at her, slightly furrowing your brow.

“What if I fucking like it this way?” you looked at yourself in the mirror. Your hair was already falling over your eyes and there were times during fencing practice and dancing lessons when you had trouble with keeping it from blocking your view. But it was your signature look.

“Well, I think you have two options. One, you cut your hair. Two, you let us tie it up nicely. Either way you can’t go at a ball looking like this. No offence, but you won’t be taken seriously. And a lot of the other royalty isn’t… As open-minded as we are”, Jade looked uncomfortable thinking about them, and you figured this wasn’t only about how someone looks. You looked away, realizing you were often taking their friendliness for granted, and it made you ashamed of how you treated them.  
Talking coming from the stairs interrupted you. Kanaya quickly turned to the direction of the noise in panic, realizing Dave was coming back down. Without saying anything first, she just pushed you into the dressing room, signaling you to change back to your clothes.

“Hey guys! Me and John will be downstairs waiting for you to finish up!” Dave yelled from the other end of the room.

“Wait!” Roxy suddenly ran down the stairs, almost bumping into John, to which he blushed, not knowing if he needed to catch her or not. She smiled, looked first into him, then into Dave.

“Jane has some trouble with picking her dress, so I figured who better to help her out than her brother and her best friend? So I’ll just steal John from you for a moment longer”, she winked at Dave, took John by the hand, and pulled him upstairs again.  
Their muffled voices that slowly started disappearing were discussing something over whether John was a good pick for a judge and should Roxy maybe pick somebody else, but she wouldn’t listen to him. Dave sighed and rolled his eyes.

“Guess I’ll just hang out in the lobby talking to some dresses. I bet they wouldn’t leave me like this. You hear that John! An inanimate object wouldn’t leave me to go help its sister! Unlike some people!”  
Rose looked at Kanaya, then at him. She crossed her arms and smirked. Dave noticed, looked at her, and pointed her finger at her.

“A-a-a! I can feel you judging me!”

“I haven’t said anything, Dave.”

“You were thinking about it!”

“Did you forget who is the Seer between the two of us?”

“I don’t need to be a fucking Seer to know when you’re ready to share your bullshit with everyone.”

“Bullshit? Says the guy who was just planning on going downstairs and talking to some ballroom gowns.”

“And there it is!” he swung his arms up in the air leaving the room with no other comments. “The coast is clear”, Kanaya whispered near the curtain, telling you to get outside. You were holding the suit in your hands, gave one look to Jade, then Rose who was still looking towards the staircase leading downstairs. You aren’t sure what exactly happened, because it was so extremely stupid. Too stupid for you to be able to comprehend this. Honestly, Dave and Rose’s relationship was a mystery to you. They are so strangely alike, but also widely different.

“You can leave the suit on the table downstairs. Don’t worry, we got the cost covered. Consider it a small token of gratitude for tolerating Dave”, Rose smiled.

You tried to reason with them by assuring you had enough money to cover it, and that it won’t be a problem, but they insisted. So you simply thanked them, even responded with a smile, trying to show your gratitude. Kanaya nodded towards the staircase. She probably overheard you talking to Dave earlier and how you both wanted to quickly get out of here. The weird thing was that she encouraged it, to which you silently growled, blushed, then stomped out of the room. As soon as you got out of their sight, Rose turned to Kanaya and they chuckled. Jade looked confused over what was going on, but Rose cut her off before she had the chance to ask any questions about it.  
“So… How about this dress?”

 

You met Dave downstairs. He was sitting on one of the not-so-comfortable stairs with his legs crossed, tapping with his fingers on the arm holders. He noticed you coming down. He jumped up, put his hands on his hips, and looked at you raising his eyebrows.  
“Let’s go!” he exclaimed.

“Where exactly are we going?” you crossed your arms, hoping this would make him tell you for once what his plan was.

“Well… Anywhere that isn’t here. If I spend another minute in this fucking store I will go mad and probably turn into some kind of gremlin living underneath the piles of dresses people throw on the sides. I will become the town’s legendary prick. People will weep as they share my incredibly horrifying story, the fate to which my cousins have pushed me to because they took so long deciding which dress they should buy”, he proceeded towards the door.

“Aren’t you being a little too dramatic”, you followed him through the door.

“I would say I’m not being dramatic enough”, he looked back at you, gave you a slight smirk, then continued towards the farmer’s market. You rolled your eyes and followed him. You were glad he got you out of the store, but you have no idea where he’s taking you. You doubt he just wants to buy some fresh cabbages.

Kankri raised his head when he heard the little bell ding when you opened the door of the shop. You waved at him and pointed towards Dave, signaling him that you’re going to be fine on your own, that you’re merely an escort. Kankri put his head down to the ground again and proceeded with his nap knowing that he’s not currently needed.  
You followed Dave into the dense crowd. You were bigger than most people here, so you were gathering some stares, especially from people you ran into. Kids were mostly amazed, you noticed them following you through the crowd. They kept a constant distance of a few feet behind you. It made you slightly uncomfortable, but you guess they didn’t mean any harm. Still, you felt your ears instinctively lowering from embarrassment. Dave wasn’t unnoticeable either. He was also pretty tall, and while unlike you he didn’t have horns or gray skin, he did have some fashionable clothes on. Well, in any case nicer-looking ones than the ones of Jane’s subjects. He was, unlike you, able to move through the crowd more swiftly, and you had trouble with keeping up with him.

It didn’t take long for him to find a stand selling weapons. An array of knives, all kinds of blades, daggers, and quivers with arrows was laid down in front of you. All of them had a unique design, and a specially made handle with exquisite details. You were amazed at this craftsmanship, especially for a large hunting knife in front of you. The saleswoman was busy talking to Dave about something, they were a few feet from you but their voices were lost in the crowd so you couldn’t hear what they were saying. You figured she won’t mind if you gently picked it up and gave it a closer look. You turned it around in your hands, careful not to touch the blade because it was one of the sharpest ones you ever saw. Thin as a piece of paper, but made of strong steel. The handle was made of oak wood, carved in it the images of deer walking through the forest. It was hollow on the inside, but the heavy wood covered in a layer of wax was almost impossible to break. You were able to see the veins on the leaves of the carved trees. There was no question that this woman knew what she was doing. And that her work is probably extremely expensive.  
You put the knife back down realizing Dave and her stopped talking. He had a little package in his hands now and you wondered what it might be. It’s probably a dagger, you thought to yourself, then called yourself an idiot because why would Dave buy anything else from her. It was probably a gift for someone in the family, maybe John since it was his birthday and coronation. The saleswoman gave you a smile.

“Interested in that hunting knife? It’s one of my best pieces. Except for the object made for the Prince right here”, she leaned down, looked at the knife, then you.

“Hey, hey! This is a gift, keep it on the down low”, Dave warned her.

“Alright… Prince. Your terrible little secret is safe with me”, she gave him a wink, then rolled her eyes when she looked back at you.

“Vantas! Let’s go! I have some more errands to do!” he said, then rushed back into the crowd. You gave the saleswoman an awkward smile then disappeared.

 

“Why are you in such a rush? I am pretty sure they still need to buy some shoes after they’re finished with finding their ball attire.”

“Because I need shoes as well, and I still have to pick up some things”, he responded.

“Don’t you guys have like a whole assortment of shoes in your closet?” you raised your eyebrow, but he didn’t see.

“Vantas, I don’t know who you take me for, but I don’t own so many pairs of shoes. You’re confusing me with my cousins. Besides, the coronation of my best friend is a damn good reason to buy some new dancing shoes”, he stopped at a fruit stand.

“What stuff do you even need to pick up? What is with all the secrecy?” you turned around, scanning your surroundings. The crowd was dense, so even if somebody was following you two, you weren’t so sure you would actually spot them. He took some peaches from the guy at the stand, then picked a few oranges as well.

“It’s not so much as secrecy as is surprise. I would do it on my own really, but Jane would scold me if I went into the fucking crowd alone without an escort. She trust her people, but man, is she paranoid. Oh well, shit, not paranoid. Just worried. I don’t want you coming back to her and telling her I was gossiping about her. I don’t mean anything bad. You feel me”, he paid the guy and thanked him. He threw you one of the peaches and bit into another one.

“Hey, yeah, hold this for me”, he put both paper bags in your hands as he continued walking down the passage way between the stands.

“And also, I wanted some company”, he was facing forward so you couldn’t see his expression, but you think that was a smile on the corner of his lips. You looked at the peach with some doubt, then took a bite.  
You were almost right at the center of the square, right next to the bulk of the oak tree. The sunlight barely passed through the thick branches, but it was still enough to light up the surrounding area. The shade was refreshing, especially comparing it to the sunlit parts that were extremely hot on this spring day. You like warmth, but it can be really tiring sometimes.

 

“Want to take a shortcut?” Dave turned around with a playful expression. He didn’t expect your answer, he just slid between two stands to get to the bottom of the tree. He gave you a quick glance, just to make sure you were following, then started climbing.

“Wait! Dave! How the fuck am I supposed to climb with these paper bags?!” you yelled out, but he didn’t stop.

“Figure it out!” you heard him laugh. You’re going to kill him.  
The deep ridges of the tree were good for climbing because you have something to grip on when there were no branches nearby. But you needed to climb fast if you wanted to keep up with him.

“Fuck!” you yelled out, not specifically at him, but at the whole situation. If you had your cape with you, you would’ve made a little satchel out of it by pulling it under your arm and then attaching it to one of the knobs at your shoulder which held the cape to your chest piece. But you didn’t. Mostly because if you took your armor with you, it would have been difficult to take it off to try on clothes. It’s a two-man job to take off the chest piece, and you prefer help with getting the other parts off too. So you just grabbed the edges of the paper bags with your mouth, careful not to tear them with your sharp teeth.  
You were pretty fast since climbing trees was the only way to get a better view when travelling. Even though you didn’t do it very often, mostly because of your fear of heights, you still practiced it often enough to be good at it. Dave was still faster than you, skillfully jumping from one branch to another, reaching towards another ledge and pulling himself up. It took you some time to reach him. He decided to wait for you on some of the higher branches, ones that were deep inside the crown of the tree. He was laying down, his hands beneath his head.

“Took you long enough!” he raised his head a little to look at you. You sat down, put the bags on the branch careful not to tip them over. You were still gasping for air, because that was quite a race. He didn’t seem tired at all.

“Some asshole got a head start on me and left me with all the fruit”, you took the bags next to you, then flung them towards him.

“Fuck!” he laughed as the bags hit him on the stomach. He was quick enough to catch them before falling. He took another peach out, realized there were no more he could offer you, so he gave you an orange instead. You were a little confused by this gesture. Was he being… Genuinely nice?

“You should work on your stamina. How are you supposed to protect me if you can’t even climb a tree.”  
You rolled your eyes at that remark.

“I would have probably reached the top first if we started the race at the same time. And if I knew where you were headed.”

“Excuses, excuses!” he laughed, then frowned.

“Man, it’s too dark here. I need take my glasses off”, he pouted, sliding his shades up and revealing his red eyes. He took another bite out of the peach.

“You know, it’s kind of funny how you and me have such a similar eye color”, he squinted at you.

“Yeah, well, guess we’re both fucking freaks”, you sighed, looking at the orange he gave you. You weren’t really hungry. Talking about your mutation and blood color always made you glum. He sat up.

“I guess we are, huh”, he scoffed, looking down towards the bottom. A couple of kids were playing a few branches beneath you, swinging around and competing in who can jump the furthest. The noise from the market was blocked by the thick leaves, so you didn’t feel anxious from the crowd. It was peaceful, and while being alone with Dave was always awkward, somehow this was the first time you enjoyed his company, felt comfortable in the silence between you two.

“You are going to attend the ball, right? I know knights are not expected to go, and I feel like you aren’t the kind of person who usually enjoys social events like this, but… You have become… A part of our family in a way…”, he laughed.

“Hell! I think the two of us are closer together than my brother and I are”, you noticed sadness in his eyes even though he tried to hide it with a smile. Talking about his brother really hurt him.

“Who would’ve thought?! That my own brother wouldn’t even care enough to check on me! Ha! While you came into my room afterwards! A knight! Who’s only expected to protect me physically, not care about my mental well-being! I mean what kind of fucked-up person is my brother! I bet he wouldn’t even mind if he found out I was dead! All those years and not even a word from him!” he was laughing hysterically. You didn’t know what to do. You didn’t want to comment on his brother, but you also didn’t want to leave him like this. You felt an urge to comfort him, to establish some kinds of contact. It didn’t even need to be a physical one! Just a reassuring glance. A smile. Something! But showing emotions to him, showing care towards him while respecting the boundaries set by your “professional” relationship was almost impossible. If you show him you’ll be there for him, always, when he needs you, you would confess your feelings for him. Which you weren’t ready for.  
Not yet.  
Maybe never.

“Dave!” you yelled out, stopping him in the middle of his vent, because, while you were thinking to yourself of what should you do, he still continued talking. You noticed on the corner of your eyes that his eyes got filled with tears at the edges, so you decided to look away from him. You didn’t want him to feel week in your presence. So you stared down below you, to the kids playing right beneath you.

“Why do you think I went into town to go shopping with you idiots?! Certainly not because I fucking wanted to! But Kanaya told me I needed a formal attire from this stupid event! I hate your fucking human rules! They just make me waste the money I don’t motherfucking have”, you got up on your feet, extending your arm towards Dave to help him get up as well.

“Now quit your whining cause it isn’t going to help you. You had some other stuff you needed to take care of, and I also need to get some new fucking shoes. Because this idiotic ball requires me to have appropriate foot-wear as well.”

You were afraid you were being harsh to him about it. Frankly, you wanted to be here with him while he talks it all out, while he shows his vulnerable side he tries to hide behind the appearance of a collected person. You wanted him to talk about it, because he never talks about his problems. He just brushes it off. But this isn’t the time nor the place to do so. Mostly because they were in a hurry.  
You hope he won’t take this as an insult, you shutting him up, as something that breaks his trust in you. Just openly showing you how he thinks of his brother is a big step for him, and you hope you haven’t seemed uninterested in what he was saying, just not ready to show him how much you did actually care about how Dirk treated him and made him go through.  
He gave you a gentle smile, a small sign which meant he appreciated what you said. You blushed, and he put his glasses down, accepting your hand. A large weight fell off your shoulders as you realized he was glad you stopped him. You were, after all, in a public place. He probably didn’t want people to see him like this.  
You left the fruit bags on the branch, you weren’t going to finish it. Dave whistled, calling for the kids and telling them you left some food if they wanted to take it. They thanked you, quickly moving up to your branch in order to retrieve the treats. Dave and you started descending down the tree, reaching the other end of the farmer’s market.

 

“So what exactly do you need to take care of?” you ask, partially uninterested, but worried how it might involve you. You never knew with Strider. You reached the edge of the market, and were walking towards one of the streets going away from the main square.

“The day of John’s coronation is on his birthday. I’m picking up his gift that I went to get made for him”, he said, sliding into the narrow street between a few people. Again with the crowd. Great.

“So what are you getting him?” you decide not to pay attention to the people around you anymore. You are the one who’s easier to spot, and easier to go around. They can fuss all they want, you’re not apologizing for every time you bump into somebody again. It’s getting annoying.

“Ah! Here we are!” he exclaimed, expanding his arms in excitement and pointing to the entrance of a blacksmith’s workshop. There was a barrier between the customers and the blacksmith in the shop, so the space was open to the public view, unlike other shops which had a wall dividing the interior from the street, but still left the by-passers clear of the workshop area. During the night, the shop owner would put on the metal fence, which he kept folded throughout the day, and lock it up so nobody would touch his equipment. Inside the workshop it was hot, and you were glad you had a job that didn’t require standing near a furnace all day. Sparks were flying as the smith’s apprentices worked on developing tools and weapons. Their ages ranged from mid-teens to late thirties. The younger ones would help with handing the smaller tools, water, or did other simpler tasks. Their mentor probably thought they weren’t ready to make their own creations just yet.

“Ah! Prince of Time! It is a pleasure to see you again!” the blacksmith gave him a wide smile, cleaning his hands with a rag before approaching the prince.

“I assume you finished your masterpiece?” Dave raised one of his eyebrows and smiled.

“But of course! Wouldn’t keep someone like you waiting. Especially with the big event approaching. I take it this is a gift for the Prince of Breath? Judging from the design of course”, he smiled, looked under the barrier, which was a type of stone table, then took out a package wrapped in cloth. It was about a meter long, delicate judging from how the blacksmith handled it. Dave took it in his hands and unwrapped it.  
He uncovered a sword, revealing the thin blade slightly curved at the end. The handle decorated with thin golden spirals which would wrap around the hand when a person held the sword. The emblem of breath was on the top of the handle, right where the blade emerged for. You guess it was made from some kind of gem stone, probably lapis lazuli because of its deep blue color. Something this detailed needed months to be made. You wonder when Dave got the chance to slip out the castle while nobody was looking and gave instructions to the blacksmiths.

“What do you think? Do you think he’ll actually like something like this? He’s not a guy that generally uses a sword, but I guessed he would need one eventually. No matter how much he was wanted to avoid violence, violence isn’t always going to avoid him”, Dave commented. You noticed he was anxious whether or not he made the right decision. He really wanted John to like it.

“That might be true, but this is an exquisite gift. I’m sure he will be very grateful”, you said, still astounded by the sword. Dave looked at the blacksmith, gave him a satisfied nod, then took out a little bag with money and handed it to him.

“The other part of the payment, just as promised. Along with a bonus, because I think you definitely deserve it”, he wrapped the sword back into the cloth.

“Thank you, My Lord. Give my kindest regards to the Queen and the soon to be King!” he said. Dave put his hand in the air, gave him a slight wave as you headed back to the center.

 

The two of you quickly joined the others again. Dave hid the sword by putting it into one of the two bags attached to Lil Cal’. A part of it was sticking out, but since it was covered by cloth, it would be hard to make out what was in it if the person hadn’t known it. The others were a little suspicious of you two because, frankly, you were gone for more than an hour and a half, but they dropped the subject after a few minutes of jokes. You joined them all in another shop that was selling shoes. All kinds really. From riding boots to ballroom shoes.  
You didn’t take long to pick out two new pairs, high boots which reached to your knees with golden embroidered details and a pair of sturdy riding boots with enforced soles that won’t tear as easily as the first ones did. You carried all your things to Kankri. It was already evening, and you were tired, but Kankri insisted on finding a new saddle, some new blankets, and some casual clothes. You sighed, didn’t want to protest. Mostly because he was right. So you asked Jane for directions for the best place to buy a saddle for a dragon, and rather than giving you complicated instructions, she appointed Gamzee to help you find it. It didn’t take you long to find the place. Kankri stirred the crowd a little bit, but most people were curious about his appearance, not frightened. You guess that’s a good thing.

Gamzee let you two alone to pick out what you needed, or order. Kankri was picky, so you weren’t surprised when he requested a custom made saddle. You smacked your face when you heard all the things he wanted to add or subtract from a general saddle design. This is going to cost you a lot of money. But at least the saddle is going to last for a while. It was going to take a week or two to make, and the craftsman was kind enough to offer to deliver it to the castle when he was done with it. You guess he’s excited he got another order from a royal knight, a saddle for a dragon rather than the saddles that he usually sells for horses.  
You finished the day by finding some new clothes, shoes that didn’t cost you an actual fortune but were actually of good quality, some new blankets, equipment like scissors, a few smaller hunting knives (not as fancy as the ones you saw when you were with Dave), and some accessories for Kankri. He liked gold a lot, and he liked putting bracelets on his horns in special occasions. You also bought a few golden necklaces, earrings, rings, and gems. You rarely treated him like this, and besides, it was customary that the dragon from the attending knights at the ball be fancy as well.

You returned to the castle late in the night, put all the things that you bought in your room. You’re going to unpack later. You left Kankri with his golden trinkets. He liked going over them and putting them on when nobody’s looking. It’s not that it was unusual for dragons to decorate themselves, but it was sort of preposterous. You spent a big chunk of the money you saved up today, and you hope he appreciates how much of it went into giving into his wishes.  
You laid down in your bed after you took your armor off. You didn’t want to look at the suit spread out next to you. Thinking about the ball made you so anxious that you felt nauseous. There will be so many important people there. Gog help you that you don’t make a fool of yourself. That’s the last thing you wanted.  
The coronation is in less than 3 weeks. That’s so soon.  
Fuck.  
You’re not ready.


	14. Fight bravely

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woop! Here we are! As I promised! :)  
> It's going to get interesting in the next one >;3c
> 
> (I've been reading Hobb's Rain Wild Chronicles and tried to experiment with her style. Hopefully it's still clear.)  
> (Oh, and I don't want anyone to think I hate Dirk. I love this boy, ok? He's just... He's so awkward.)

The days till the coronation were moving slowly. You kept thinking about the event, and the ball. Mostly the ball. You never got used to large social gatherings. Even now, after months of spending time with a number of people every day, you felt uncomfortable being in their company for more than a few hours at most. They weren’t boring, no, but you felt their presence tiresome. The ball is definitely going to last deep into the night, end somewhere early in the morning when most of the guests are too tired to continue dancing.  
But till then there is going to be so many things you need to take into account. You need to remain pleasant with everyone, talk politely to everyone that engages into a conversation with you, dance if you were asked by somebody, help out Jane with keeping her plan intact. There are all sorts of little things that could go wrong, and you need to give your best to keep them from happening. That alone wasn’t what made you anxious as you were. No, that wasn’t the biggest problem. Dave was.

You weren’t sure you wouldn’t be able to keep your posture during the ball if he misbehaved. He wouldn’t cause trouble to Jane; you doubt he would ever get such an idea. You were more worried about him and his brother. It was certain they would be standing closely to one another in the ballroom, because Jane planned for everyone to stick together. The hall itself was enormous, big enough to hold all the royalty and their knights while in the same time providing enough space for an small orchestra, that would require the music, and the dancing area. There would be tables at the sides of the room, behind the pillars so they the people who decide to take some refreshments won’t bother the rest who wanted to dance. A large table is going to be set on the podium which was opposite from the entrance to the hall. The table was large, made of stone, and curved around a giant mosaic symbol of life. John would be seated in the middle of it, he was, after all, the reason for the celebration. The hall wouldn’t be crowded, not too much, but it would seem such to Dave and Dirk, who would be expected to stand right next to each other since they were brothers. You don’t doubt Dave will sit right next to John, being his best friend, but Dirk will need to be seated right next to him. This is going to create a lot of tension. Tension you won’t be able to help with.

The knights are traditionally seated at the ends of the table, unlike the Queens and Kings which are seated in the middle. You are going to be far away from Dave, unable to ease up the atmosphere and offer a friendly face if he were to feel uncomfortable from his brother. You hated how much you fucking cared for him and wanted him close, and how much you came to hate Dirk after you’ve seen what his impact has been on Dave.  
You didn’t know what his deal was. And you weren’t sure if you’ll ever find out. He always seemed distant from everyone else. Even with Jake and David, with whom he spent the most time with.

“I know you might not think much of him”, Jade said to you one day while you were playing chess together.

“But he has a good soul. He just…” she moved her knight towards one of your pawns. She sighed.

“He hasn’t had an easy life. Dave and him were close before, from what I heard. The only person he truly trusted, but years passed… And they… Grew apart”, she seemed awfully sad while talking about him. As if she knew the troubles he went through and how hard it was for him to talk to open up to people. You moved your queen a few places to the left, then glimpsed at her, not moving your head from your hand which it rested on. Your fingers covered your mouth, but you were too lazy to move them.

“Why hasn’t he fucking said anything to him? Why didn’t he try to… you know… fucking talk to him? About anything really. They’ve exchanged two words when you first came to the castle. And then nothing. Don’t you think if he cared, he would utter a fucking sentence to his own brother?” you were furious, but tried to hide it by concentrating on the chess figures. Though she noticed your face became red with anger.

“Please, Sir Vantas, don’t think less of him. I do not know what he thinks and why he acts like he does, but he is a noble person. And he does care. In his own way”, she whispered the last sentence. You weren’t sure if she just wasn’t sure that it was true, or that she herself still tried to make herself believe in it. If she was still uncertain of how he feels, and what kind of person he is, even after all these years they’ve come to know each other, how are Dave and Dirk ever going to fix their relationship? And the question still remains, even if she tried to give you a little bit of understanding about him, does he actually care about Dave at all, or is Dave simply a person of his past?

 

You lightly shook your head, getting back to reality. There was no sense in dwelling on what kind of person Dirk was according to his friend’s experiences if he doesn’t prove it with his own actions. You don’t doubt Jade was telling the truth, she had no motives to do otherwise, but you want to make the same impression on your own. And until then, you are going to think of him as arrogant, and, frankly, quite dispassionate.  
You looked at the suit laid out in front of you, as well as the boots lying right beneath them at the side of the bed. Tomorrow, early morning, the coronation begins at the top of the mountain behind the castle. The dragons have been practicing their performance every day, guided by Jane’s instructions. Some of them, mostly Meenah and Cronus, were not too happy about following directions from somebody who wasn’t their rider, not that they obeyed their riders’ either, but that was their reasoning. Eridan and Feferi desperately tried to get them under control when they started throwing their fits, but without much luck. The two beasts would rather do as they pleased. Jane always apologized for causing trouble. She never meant to push the dragons to do something they didn’t want to, but you knew how important it was for her to prepare the whole ceremony perfectly.

It was customary that the parents organize the ceremony. From inviting the correct people, to ordering the right flowers from the best gardener in the kingdom. But sadly, due to the death of their parents, Jane took it upon herself to organize the coronation. John hasn’t been lazily sitting on his ass watching his sister do all the work though. He had offered to help, to which Jane primarily objected because she wanted to keep some aspects of it a secret, but later decided she truly needed every bit of help she could get since this was the largest ball she, or anyone else ever, prepared. It didn’t take long for others to offer help too. Rose and Roxy didn’t even want to hear it, just took some tasks to take care themselves. Jade didn’t want to be left out, so she decided to be the person who would order the flowers she seemed fit. Although Jane was the one closely associated with nature and its energy, you couldn’t help but notice that Jade might be as powerful as she was as far as understanding life goes. She would sometimes roam through the hothouse, tending to the plants instead of Jane. Kankri would rarely object. He found her presence pleasant, he had somebody to talk to during the lazy afternoons. Jake and Dirk decided to take part in hiring people who would go hunting at the day of the coronation, and deliver a few freshly killed deer, boars, rabbits, and ducks in the morning so the servants can start working on the dinner in the kitchen. David joined them shortly, while Dave decided to help out John. Most likely to avoid the company of his brother.

You and the other knights were left by yourself, but felt guilty for not helping out. So you decided in uniform to take your dragons for a bath, make their scales shine under the rising sun during the performance, make all the guest jealous at the fantastic beasts and their righteous riders. While the seadwellers’ dragons didn’t need much additional cleaning since they spent most of their lives in the water, the other dragons did. Still, you remember how Feferi growled at Meenah for not telling her algae started growing underneath her wings. They are awfully hard to scrub off. Meenah, of course, didn’t care too much since it wasn’t her job to clean it. Cronus, on the other hand, objected to anything his rider did. Anytime Eridan would scrub too hard at the scales, or, Gog forbid, touched one of the fin-like ears, Cronus would let out a loud scream, writhing out of discomfort and sending Eridan into the cold water of the lake. The rest of the dragons didn’t protest as much. Meulin was a bit hesitant to enter the chill water, but soon realized it was soothing to her, especially on the hot spring day that it was. Nepeta quickly started massaging her head, scrubbing at her neck, trying to get all the knots out of her thick mane. It wasn’t easy at all, and Equius started grunting at the same problem he faced with Horrus. Tavros had difficulty keeping his balance in the rocky and muddy bank of the lake, but helped Rufioh get off the filth nevertheless. The two of them looked to be having the most fun out of all the knights. Certainly more than Sollux had with his dragon. He barely made Mituna get into the water, cursing at him as the dragon refused to even touch the surface. After finally getting him in, and bathing him, the dragon refused to go out, presenting another problem to the yellow-blooded rider. Sollux had little patience with him, and you already saw the sparks around his horns as Mituna swum into deeper water, but instead of fighting with him, he threw his hands in the air, cursed a whole assortment of various things, then sat down underneath a tree and waited for the dragon to make his own decision. Kurloz and Gamzee were relaxing in the water, quietly enjoying the afternoon. You had no idea how the two of them kept such a mellow appearance while in the same time being so fucking terrifying. 

Kankri wasn’t too happy either about reaching the water. He preferred bathing in fire - creating a circle from the fire he created, then thoroughly rolling in it until all the parts of his body were heated up and disinfected. This technique, while getting rid of small insects that stuck to his scales sometimes, would keep some of the areas on his body looking burnt. These black spots were always clearly visible on his scarlet scales, and he isn’t going to go to the coronation looking like that. Kanrki agreed to the bath, even decided to let you help with cleaning him, which was a true rarity because he didn’t like to be touched, even by you, but he halted at the edge of the lake, looking at the clear, cold water. He tried to persuade you to find a another solution, call for the servants to bring some steamed water and a sponge, but you objected, telling him to suck it the fuck up and get into the fucking water. He called you out for disrespecting him. You called him a large unintelligent salamander. He growled, sparks appearing around the corners of his mouth, showing his small, but razor sharp teeth. You growled right back. You certainly weren’t as scary as a dragon, but you didn’t want to step down. You pointed towards the lake, and yelled at him to get in the motherfucking water. He still protested, but did it anyways, knowing that he needed to do this. He slowly stepped into the lake, still keeping his gaze at you, but his angry expression slowly started to fade. You took of your shirt and boots, went into the water yourself, then realized why Kankri so desperately wanted to avoid this. The water was ice cold. It was mid-spring, and while the weather was certainly warmer, it was still cold. Especially up here in the mountains. You clenched your teeth, knowing that if you said something about the water temperature, you would have never heard the end of it.

After you completely dip into the water, you stood up again, hurried onto the shore to grab a rag, one you requested from a servant prior to getting here, then jumped towards Kankri who laid down into the water and was rolling on his back trying to get completely wet. When he saw you, he stopped rolling, staid on his back and exposed his belly for you to clean it. You sighed. It was up to you to do the work now. And he’s not going to let you out of the water until he’s satisfied with the result.  
It took you a long time before you got all the dirt off. Kankri always kept himself as clean as he could, but the dirt crept into the folds of his skin, in-between some scales and fingers. He also made your job harder by “accidentally” splashing you with water when moving his legs, submerging you into the lake, or simply whipping his tail through the air and right next to you. You tried to fight back, but what can a mere troll do against a dragon. Still, you tried, and you did get him out of balance a few times, enough for him to struggle back onto the surface gasping for air. After he was clean, you took another rag, one you hung over one of the lower branches of the closest tree, and started drying him off. It didn’t take you long, and Kankri gleamed afterwards, happy that he is finally as clean as he could be. He complained a lot about the cleaning, but you know he will do his best now to keep his scales as shining as they are now, until the ceremony begins. It was only a few days.

 

You needed to get up tomorrow before the sun rises to get all the jewelry on him. The new saddle also needed to be polished, decorated, then put on. The older one you managed to sell, getting some money back. It was the merchant who built the new saddle who offered to buy the old one. He could renovate it and put it back into use, and decided to give you a small amount of money. Well, less than you gave to buy that saddle, that’s for sure, but the amount was still a decent amount of money. Dragon saddles were, after all, a small luxury because of their price. They were at least ten times more expensive than horse saddles, if not more.  
But before you need to deal with the tasks for tomorrow, you’ll need to get the haircut Kanaya so desperately asked you to get. Over and over again. And you were embarrassed when you realized how your look was viewed as unkempt and untidy. But it was who you were. It defined you in a strange way, and you were anxious to get it cut. But it needed to be done. Tonight.  
You exited your room, entered the dark hallways as you walked towards Rose’s and Kanaya’s room. They offered themselves to cut hair for the knights. It was easier than going to town and finding a hairdresser. And cheaper. Besides, Kanaya and Rose were often praised by Roxy and her knights for their skill, and you knew you could trust them. You were still anxious though. Sure, Kanaya could be the exemplar at cutting hair and styling it, but would she be able to make something of yours? You don’t think your hair has ever been tame, and you only cut it a couple of times just enough to be able to see again. You reached the doors of their room which interrupted your thoughts. You took a deep breath before knocking.

“It’s open!” you heard Rose yell out. Her voice seemed muffled, as if she couldn’t speak properly. When you came in, you noticed why. She was right above Nepeta’s head, trying to cut the hair around her horns, struggling to keep a few pins in her mouth as she delicately trimmed the ends of the rough strands. Kanaya was on the other end, with Tavros sitting in the seat in front of her. What was before a messy mohawk with strands falling unevenly on both sides, was now a clean hairstyle where the hair looked soft to touch, rather than rough like before.

“You’ll need to come here to style it in the morning. I wanted to simply braid it, but if you want, you can leave it like this as well”, she went through his hair a few more times with a wooden comb, then handed him a small hand mirror so he can finally see her creation. The slight raise of his eyebrows out of surprise and the wide grin on his face confirmed that he liked it.

“Thank you so much!” he exclaimed.

“I really love it!” You were surprised he didn’t stutter. You guess he did so only when he was embarrassed or anxious.

“You’re welcome”, she smiled, then noticed you in the corner of her eyes.

“Oh! Good evening, Karkat! Finally decided to come, I see!” she gave you a gentle smile. You blushed and looked away, rubbing the back of your neck as you approached her.

“I got that ridiculous suit, new shoes and everything. If I don’t cut my hair, that will all go to a waste, because no matter how much I dress up I’ll always look fucking disgusting in comparison to others. If I want to look like a real, actual, decent person, I need to take care of the situation that is my hair”, you explained, putting one hand on the chair in which Tavros was sitting in. He turned around, gave you a nervous smile.

“Don’t worry Karkat. Kanaya does, uh, a very good job!” He stood up, wobbled out, trying to get his balance on the wooden leg. He gave the mirror back to Kanaya, then gestured you to sit down.

“Fuck!” you heard behind you right as you were about to sit down. Startled, you looked in Rose’s direction, where she stood up, scissors in one hand, a long lock of hair in the other.

“Nepeta! I told you not to move!” Rose yelled at her, looking at the horror of her, now uneven, haircut. The lock was so large, you feared she cut one of her pigtails. Rose was furious, not at Nepeta, who was indeed squeamish in her chair and couldn’t sit still, but at herself who made such an error.

“Just cut it short. It doesn’t matter. It’ll grow back. Besides, I always wanted to see how short hair would suit me”, Nepeta chuckled, excited at the mere thought of cutting all that hair. You guess it just got in her way, that’s why she wasn’t too attached to it. Rose clench her teeth, took a deep breath, then agreed to her suggestion.

“Alright”, she said, put up the scissors again, and started cutting.

“Uh… I hope that doesn’t happen to you” Tavros said awkwardly, then swiftly left the room when he noticed he made you uneasy.

“Thank you, Kanaya! And, uh… Sorry!” he closed the door behind you. That “sorry” was meant for you, and you rolled your eyes as you sit down in the chair. He should be sorry, you were now more anxious than you were before. While it was Rose’s mistake, there was a risk Kanaya could do the same. As if she sensed your worry, she lowered her head to yours, patted you on the shoulder and smiled: “Don’t worry. I’ll be careful. You just need to listen to my instructions.”

She took the scissors off of the bed right behind her, and the wooden comb with which she brushed Tavros’s hair a moment ago.  
She noticed how nervous you were, but decided to be stern and not show how she actually found it quite amusing. You took a deep breath as she took a lock of your hair, right on top of your head, took it between the of her fingers, then cut it off swiftly somewhere at mid-length. You exhaled, realizing you were holding your breath, and she laughed. A small frown appeared on your face as she mocked you, but honestly, you were acting so childish you would’ve laughed at yourself as well. Kankri probably felt your anxiety, and is currently laughing in his hothouse. He knew you were taking a haircut today, and that you have been nervous about it, just didn’t comprehend that it was worse than he thought. You felt a light pressure around your heart and stomach. No, that was not a quiet chuckle, it was a throaty laugh. You growled. He’s going to make fun of you for the rest of your life about this.

“Tilt your head down”, Kanaya instructed you, guiding you with her hands to the position she wanted. She took another strand, cut it, then another, and another, and another. It didn’t take her long to style the back of your head. She was careful never to scratch you, pull your hair too hard, or make you have your head in an uncomfortable position too long. She worked fast, and effectively.  
The tricky part followed. She needed to cut around your small horns. It wasn’t as hard as working with others who had larger horns, for example Gamzee, but it was still a complicated task. She took the comb in her mouth, trying to hold it steady between her large fangs, while she measured the length she wanted, then cut it. You noticed the strand drift through the air on the side of you. You wanted to turn, see exactly how much hair was already on the ground, but as you rotated your head only slightly to the side, Kanaya quickly turned it back.

“Look in front of you! Or I’ll mess up”, she muttered with the comb in her mouth. She gave you a quick stare, right into your eyes, as a warning to keep still.

You kept telling yourself it’s okay, that Kanaya knows what she is doing, that she’s styling it perfectly, but there was insecurity in your voice of reason, and you closed your eyes as she went on to work on the hairs falling over your eyes. You flinched every time you heard the distinctive sound of scissors cutting through the thick hair. Kanaya haven’t noticed it, or that’s what you though. She very well recognized your reaction when you shut your eyes tighter for a millisecond when she closed the blades of the tool. A smile remained on her face, not because it was your distress that entertained her, but your apparent disbelief in her talent. You knew her for a few months now, and your relationship has been building into something more than a regular friendship, but you still had doubts about her. Maybe because she was so close to Rose, so you thought there are some secrets you don’t know about. She didn’t tell you about her relationship with the Queen, why would she talk about other matters that were maybe even more serious than the one you accidentally got involved in.

“Done!” you heard Rose exclaim behind you. The clatter of heels behind you meant that she was moving around trying to get her a mirror. A gasp from Nepeta followed, and a chuckle from Rose.

“Hell yes! This is great, Rose! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!” she jumped on her feet, you heard her turn on her heels. She went through her scalp with her hands, feeling the soft fuzz that was hidden under a layer of longer and rougher hair which had protected it of sunlight, harsh weather conditions, cold water, and other things. It was not as short as a buzz cut, like some trolls wore it, but short enough for her to be mistaken as a male. Adding to that how she usually wore only pants and loose shirts, you wouldn’t be surprised if that happened throughout the ball. You doubt she would mind. She stormed out of the room, and you heard her call for Feferi and Equius, then Roxy, trying to get their attention. They were probably resting. While it wasn’t too late in the evening, they needed to get out early in the morning and stay up for almost a day and a half. A difficult task. But Nepeta will wake them up even if they are sound asleep. She was so proud of her new hairstyle.

“You’re almost done as well”, Kanaya commented. Rose drew near, leaned forward to inspect her knight’s creation.

“Do you need some help. I can style it some more in the back while you work front”, she proposed, but even before Kanaya could provide an answer, she took her scissors, took one of the now shorter strands, and kept cutting it shorter.

“Are you excited for the ball, Sir Vantas?” Rose asked, gently going through your hair and snipping with the tool in her hand. You gulped at the thought of it.

Shit.  
It was tomorrow night. Less than a day away. You took so long to prepare for it, now everything comes down to this. You don’t even know what you were so nervous about. There was no specific event which was important for you specifically. Still, the ball brought a feeling of dread every time you imagined aspects of it.

“I take your silence as a no”, she chuckled. Your ears rose up in embarrassment.

“I apologize! I got caught up in my thoughts! Yes, I am actually excited about it”, you responded, slightly biting your lip after spilling out the lie.

“Do you often mix excitement with fear?” Rose took a step back. She was deciding if the cut was even, but also to tease you, leaving you to respond to her question.

“Why would I be afraid, My Lady?” you gritted through your teeth. She couldn’t see your face. If she could, she would’ve noticed you weren’t actually angry, but frustrated at how she saw right through what you thought was a demise.

“It is an event of grand proportions. Many new faces will come”, she came back to the chair, “and many faces that are far too familiar.”  
You held your breath for a moment too long. Was she suggesting something? You weren’t sure what, but knowing her playful but controlling nature, you were certain she tried to get something out of you. A sentence. A word. A name.

“I am not so fond of large social gatherings, that is all”, you stated simply, hoping that will be enough to keep her quiet. But Rose was quick with her tongue, staying on subject, digging out a piece of information she searched for.

“You seem comfortable enough when you are spending your time with Kanaya or me”, she grinned, you could feel her hands getting gentler, now barely touching you at all.

“Or with my cousin”, she hissed, quickly took a step back as if from concern you might get up in anger, confront her of what she said. No, you weren’t going to give her that satisfaction.

She was definitely toying with you. She knew what was going on, what you felt towards the Prince, but decided to wait for you to tell her yourself. After realizing you weren’t going to spill it out easily, she decided to bait you, wait for you to get caught in her trap and desperately try to get out without success. Like a fly caught in a spider’s web, her accusations came at you quietly, then she bit onto the little thing she held as proof, sinking her teeth into the hard truth of the affection you felt for the Prince.  
Kanaya hadn’t moved or showed any response at all to the Queens words, and you felt secure that the things she knew wouldn’t leave this room. But still, Rose liked the game where she felt as if she had power over you. You clenched your teeth. Your face was still away from her view, and the only evidence she had of you actually hearing what she had stated a moment ago, was the slightest twitch of your ear right after she made the remark. That was enough to make her form a smirk, and step back to you to rustle the freshly cut hair. Her hands were graceful, her long nails carefully caressing the back of your head.

“Was it expected of me to do otherwise? To not bond with the person I was trusted to protect?” you shifted in the chair, raising your shoulders and fixing your stature.

“No”, Rose chuckled. Kanaya looked at her, gave her a small smile, then raised your eyebrows after glancing at you.

“All done!” she clapped her hands onto one another to get the little hairs on her fingers unstuck, then vanished somewhere behind you. You rustled your hair a little while Rose shifted to hand you the mirror. On touch, it seemed to be so much shorter. There were no more long wavy curls that hid little knots when you went through them. You could see clearly, no strands falling disobediently over your face. As you took the mirror into your hand that Rose handed to you, your eyes widened at the sight of your appearance.  
Is this really you? The image in the reflection looked so different from what you were used to. You shifted in your chair, looking at the floor and the pile of dark hair that Kanaya was moping off to the side. All that hair… Gone. Only to reveal a person of a normal, clean look. A straight cut which was worn by somebody who can finally call himself a real knight, because he finally looks like one. Rose managed to perfectly trim around your horns, and you never even felt her touch them. The back was short, much like Nepeta’s new style, but Kanaya left it longer in the front, then brushed it off to the side. It suited you.

“Now you only need a clean shave in the morning, and you’re all set!” Kanaya exclaimed, signaling you that you can get of the chair. You didn’t know what to say. You were still amazed by how you looked like. Rose snatched the mirror out of your hand, she squinted at you, then glanced over to the door with a slight smile.

“Go, pretty boy! You’ve got a long day tomorrow! You already have those ever-lasting eye bags, don’t make them worse than usual by staying up late”, she crossed her arms. You gave her a smile.

“I’ll leave you two alone then”, you gave her a slight bow. A rare gesture coming from you these days. Kanaya put the trash in a bag set at the edge of the door, and you opened them up for her to take it out and put it in front of the room for the servants to take care of. You waited for her to come back inside, gave them a last look before thanking them, then disappeared into the hallway again.  
You hope you’ll be able to get enough sleep tonight. Anxiety as bad as the one you had for tomorrow’s day usually kept you up all night.  
You hope that won’t happen.

***

The first rays of sunlight finally reached through the glass walls of the hothouse. You will now finally able to witness how the gold jewelry on Kankri’s horns and ears glistened under the light. He waited for this moment impatiently, looking to the East every couple of minutes to see if there is any evidence of daybreak, but till now, he would always disappointedly turn his head back and lower it for you to be able to continue. There wasn’t a lot of work that needed to be done in order to put all the trinkets on him, and he would often protest, requiring you to change positions of some things or switch places with another one. This took most of your time, and you cursed every time he decided to make a complaint. Though, you tried to keep your grunting to a minimum. It was rare for him to get an occasion where he could wear such glamorous accessories, and he very much loved to do it whenever he got the chance. So you bit your tongue and kept fixing how they were fastened onto him, telling yourself it’ll all be worth it at the end because he’ll keep his mouth shut knowing he owes you for this.

Kanrkri wasn’t going to be a part of the show Jane put on during the ceremony. It was to be done in the air, and he could, sadly, not participate. You felt bad for him, but he later told you it doesn’t matter. It was too much work, he claimed. He would rather get the opportunity to lay somewhere at your side and get a good look at the coronation itself, a chance the other knights and their dragons didn’t have. At least the dragons and their riders who were a part of the act. It was customary that the knights of the guests attend the coronation, and Jane felt worried whether she’ll have enough place for all attendees. There were some kingdoms with five or more knights guarding their castle at once along with their rulers. The cliff that provided the space for the dragons to settle while their riders were in the castle could only hold so many dragons, as could the ballroom hold so many people. This is going to be the largest event you have ever been to and you couldn’t quite imagine how many new knights you will encounter along with their dragons.

 

“You should get ready. We need to be there in three hours, and it’ll take me at least an hour to get us both to the place of the coronation itself. Not to mention that I would like to claim my place beforehand, so I don’t disturb the guests”, Kankri nervously twitched his tail.

You knew he was probably more eager to get up there earlier because he didn’t want the guests to disturb him, but you were sure there was also a slight underline of shame under all that pride. He was worried he’ll attract more stares if he comes later, and it’s not hard to miss his deformity. You two might get some ugly glances if you don’t keep your image low.

“I’ll be down as soon as possible”, you said as you fastened the saddle onto him. The new blankets were softer than the last ones, and you noticed how he didn’t object to the saddle being fastened too tight, or it being too high on the neck. You guess it paid off buying a custom one.

“Don’t forget to shave! Your hair might not be a mess anymore, but your face still is”, he arrogantly lifted his chin up, the gold chains around his ears and horns quietly rattled as he moved. He felt fancy with all that gold on his head and legs that he thought of himself even higher than usual. You rolled your eyes and flipped him of as you exited the hothouse.

 

You took a quick bath when you came into your room, making sure you cleaned every little part. You even scrubbed between your toes, something you usually left for the water in the bath to clean. You washed your head, making sure there was no leftover cut hair stuck somewhere in there. After you thoroughly cleaned yourself, you dried off with one of the towels that were hanging in the bathroom, then roughly rubbed it through your hair so it would absorb as much water as it could before you let the rest dry off on the chill morning air. You cut your toenails, trimmed the ones on your fingers even though you usually hated doing so. Trolls had longer and sharper nails than humans did, and for a reason, so you preferred to leave them as they were rather than being stuck in a situation where you needed them, but they were too short. As you wrapped the towel around your waist, you approached the sink. You put the razor down before you got in the bathtub, so it was now awaiting you to use it. You usually shaved once every week or so, somehow liked when you looked scruffy. It would hide your actually much younger-looking face. Honestly, you thought you looked like a fifteen-year-old every time you shaved, even though Kankri claimed you did look better. But you don’t care what he thinks. You care what the other bastards on the ball will think of you. And you fucking hated that you cared.

“Fuck all of them”, you said as you took the razor into your hand then carefully started to glide it across the edge of your jaw.  
It took you longer than usual. You tried not to cut yourself, or to at least keep it to a minimum. You also tried to be as thorough as possible; you didn’t want to get embarrassed by somebody pointing out you missed a spot. Even though it was very unlikely something like that would happen.

After you were done, you took the towel off, wiped your face, then tried to dry your head some more, and went back into your room. The suit was waiting for you there, laid onto the bed where you left it yesterday. You started putting it on, first the undershirt, then pants, then the coat. You closed all the buttons on the front, then went to put on the boots. After you were all done, you adjusted the sleeves, made sure the tails weren’t stuck somewhere, because that would be embarrassing, then approached the tall mirror in the corner of your room. Your eyes widened as you met your reflection.

This was really you.  
The handsome knight in the exquisite maroon tailcoat, with the elegant boots made for a ballroom. With the clean haircut and a shaved face. With eyes coalescing into the color of copper under the morning sun.  
You shook your head. You cannot stand there all day looking at your own image. Kankri is waiting for you. You grabbed the belt with your scabbard attached. You decided it was easier to take your sword rather than using the sickles Nepeta gave you. Although they felt more comfortable to use, you didn’t have any way to attach them onto the belt without it looking pathetic.

Your cape was the last thing you took before heading down to the hothouse again. You have bought a new one at the market when you went with the rest of the group. A lighter one, with bronze patterns sewn in on the corners of it. It won’t keep you as warm during the winter, but you figured you’ll buy another one later if you still felt a need for it. You fastened it around your shoulders, letting it fall loosely over one arm, covering the scabbard. The pin that held it in place was a simple gilded one bought at one of the stands. You figured it might come in handy even though you won’t use it often.

 

Kankri greeted you with an astonished stare, his mouth slightly agape. He never really saw you dressed up like that, not in all the time you knew each other. You saw his face softening, forming a smile. You could probably count on your fingers the times your dragon actually gave you an honest smile, most of them being from teasing you or playing around with you. But this is the first time you saw him smile out of pride, of who you are, of who you both are, and where you are headed. You blushed, slightly embarrassed by the silence between you two. While you both knew you cared for each other, you rarely explicitly state it, even less show it with gestures. You scratched the back of your neck, keeping your gaze to the ground as you got to his side.

“Stop looking at me you idiot, and get outside”, you ordered, taking hold of the saddle and walking out with him. He lowered his head as he went through the door, careful not to get his horns caught up on the top of it. Even though he spent months now resigning in the hothouse, he still forgot how low the entrance was, so he would often bump his head. You would laugh at him, and he would growl out a curse or two through his teeth.  
You climbed onto him, pulling the cape on top of him and making sure something on you wasn’t out of place. You took the reins into your hands then tapped him gently on his sides to signal him you’re ready to go. You never really had much use of the reins, he usually knew where to go and was very insulted when you pulled on them too hard, or too often. It didn’t hurt, not as much as it did his pride. He always claimed how dragons were intelligent enough to be able to carry their knights without their rider’s interfering, and while you agreed, humans often felt uneasy next to such a large beast, even more when it didn’t have reigns. No, not having reins would just cause you trouble if somebody insulted Kankri and the dragon wanted to misbehave. He had a wild temper. The reins were just a precaution.

 

It took you a little less than an hour to reach the top of the mountain, and you needed to pass a few carriages and caravans transporting some of the other royalty that were going to the ceremony. You noticed how they looked at you and Kankri, an expression of disgust across their face. Okay, not everyone saw you as malformed, there were some who were only curious, surprised to see a dragon without wings. You kept your posture, your shoulders wide and your back straight. You didn’t turn to give them a look, just politely greeted them as you passed them. The children inside the carriages were mostly amazed by a dragon walking right next to them, and a dragon that was so heavily decorated. Kankri liked their attention, kept his chin up high while passing through and giving them a quick glance with his fiery eyes.  
It was not a long trip, but longer than you got used to while staying at Jane’s castle. And it gave you room to think. Time to finally realize this is happening and that you were about to be surrounded by hundreds of people you didn’t know. Even peasants will try to get close to catch a glimpse of the ceremony, a spark of the flame coming from a dragon’s mouth.

As you came onto the clearing at the top, you and Kankri found yourself gasping before the view. The throne Jane was talking so much about was not in some large closed building made of hard rock as you pictured it to be. It was, instead, standing on a pedestal, on a podium to which stairs made of marble led. Around the podium, in a semicircle, pillars were risen, shining under the bright yellow light of the sun, looking as if they were made of pearls. Their surface was carved out into images of nature, mostly trees. They were holding a dome at the top, which was as elegant as the rest of the setting. On its center there was a golden statue of a dragon spreading its wings, facing towards you. Stained glass was set in-between the pillars, delineating the kings and queens who were crowned at this very spot. All around the throne there were vines growing, grass emerging from the cracks in the old stone, wildflowers trying to reach the little bit of sunlight through the shadows cast by the dome. On an ordinary building, this would have made it look more run down than it was, but to this place it gave a unique feeling of peace and life.  
The benches spread out in front of the throne were made out of heavy dark cedar wood. Moss grew on the edges of some of them, and while they probably wanted to clean them off beforehand, some of it stuck too hard so they just left it on. At the ends of the benches various leaves were carved in. Blue and yellow flowers were set at the bottom of them, marking the way to the podium. White ribbons were attached along the path, and small white flowers were set on the back of the benches.  
Right in front of the throne chairs with green padding were set to look at the path with an angle. There were four chairs at each side, one for each of the rulers that stayed with Jane during the last months or so. You doubted they saved you a seat. You knew the extra one was meant for Sir David. You didn’t mind though. You’ll stay with Kankri somewhere behind them, close enough to be able to see what is happening, and far enough not to be in the direct view of the guests. You knew the public would try to get close, but there were guards at the entrance of the site which only let in people with an invitation. You were let in without one, they already knew you well.

 

As you and Kankri got settled in the front, other people arrived at the throne place. They left their carriages at the meadow that was located a little bit under the peak of the mountain. The horses were able to rest there, the servants left out of way, and it wasn’t too long of a walk for the rulers to get to the coronation site. Women came in beautiful dresses, layers of petticoats barely visible under the edge of them. They gently cooled themselves by waving their fans. Their partners wore elegant suits, some with a walking cane in one arm, all with their wife’s arm on the other. Some of the pairs were followed by their children whose clothes matched their parents’ in color, but were simpler so they could move easier. The youngest ones were only of few years old, gently tugging at their mothers’ dresses as they hid behind them.

Knights arrived with their dragons. You could see a decent number of them flying above you, trying to find a suitable place for landing. Some disappeared onto the cliff behind the throne, some went to the meadow where the caravans rested. Although that turned out to be a bad idea since the dragons caused commotions along the horses, and were asked to leave with their riders. It wasn’t such a bad deal. Most of the beasts lingered in the forests, away from the crowd, but with a good view of the throne podium. You could notice most of their bodies, but the ones of lower casts were hid by the dense trees, only their eyes shone in the darkness. You knew most of them noticed you. If not saw, then smelled Kankri and you. They knew your blood was different, you sensed their anger. But Kanrkri and you stood your ground, not establishing eye contact and focusing onto what was happening in front of you. Still, Kankri was nervously waving his tail, his claws going through the damp black ground. You nudged him to stop so he wouldn’t get dirt in his claws and rings. He obviously wasn’t aware he was doing it.

You stood right behind the chairs, determined to hold your pose till the ceremony began, but it would be some time till that happens. The royalty won’t be joining you along with the guests, they will arrive shortly before John does. They will claim their seats, then John will appear at the beginning of the marked path, with Jane next to him. If they parents were alive today for his coronation, they would have been the ones passing over the rule to him. His mother would have escorted him to the throne, as his father would have laid the crown on top of his head, declaring him the new ruler. But if they were alive, John should have been much older before receiving such power. Most likely his father would have given it to him when he felt too weak to continue his rule. Jane would probably not receive any power over land until she married into another family. But the circumstances were different from them. Their parents were both dead, for years now. And it was decided the kingdom was to be split into the Kingdom of Breath, and the Kingdom of Life. The closest male family member is going to take over the responsibility of crowning John, and Jake was more than happy to accept such an honor. You remember seeing him walking about the castle, practicing the speech and the words he needed to recite to John so he could respond.

 

The sound of trumpets awoke you from your thoughts, directing everyone’s attention to the entrance into the meadow. An array of carriages appeared at the end of the path. Beige with golden vines climbing around on the corners of them. The wheels were made of a dark solid wood, preventing the carriages to wobble at every little stone they went over. The horses that pulled them were decorated with the best reins. They had jewelry hanging over their foreheads, and although you couldn’t make out from such a distance any of the details, you saw how they glistened underneath the morning sun.  
The first carriage stopped right in front of the marked path. A servant rushed to get the door, and as it opened, it revealed the King of Heart who stepped out and held his hand for the Queen of Void. His shimmering orange suit was perfectly complimenting her deep blue gown decorated with small silver pearls. Both of them were wearing their crowns for the special occasion. They held their heads high, their posture was straight. No smiles on either of their faces. They kept things strict.

Their carriage turned around, and soon another one came at its place, same design as the first one. A servant rushed to open up the door of it, and you held your breath as you saw the slightest bit of red in its dark interior. The Prince of Time stepped out of the carriage, gracefully turning towards the doors, offering his hand to his cousin, the Princess of Light. And while her dress was a gown resembling the sun itself as she walked through the walkway, looking as if she radiated light through the golden fabric, you couldn’t help but stare at the Prince. Your legs felt weak as you tried to remain your posture and keep a straight face, but you felt droplets of sweat rolling down your temples. You tried to breathe, but couldn’t move as he walked slowly towards his place, Rose’s hand under his arm. His white hair was gently rustled by the cold mountain breeze, his crown the only thing keeping it intact. He wore a crimson suit with a lavish mahogany red jacket over it. His step was confident, his gaze locked to the front. You caught yourself getting lost looking at his face, at his amber freckles scattered across his cheeks and nose, at his thin lips barely sustaining a smile. You stared right into his scarlet eyes, his irises coalescing into an array of color under the bright light.

He suddenly gazed back at you, catching your stare. You wanted to look away, act as if you hadn’t just spent a whole moment getting lost in his eyes, wanting for them to be locked at you. Now that they were, your cheeks flushed as you realized you couldn’t turn away. Oh, how you wanted to! You wanted just to stand here concentrating on the ceremony. You wanted to admire the awe-worthy clothes on the royalty. You wanted to enjoy the fact that you were a knight honored with keeping a Prince safe. You wanted not to be completely infatuated with that Prince. You wanted not to hold onto a thin strain of hope thinking there might be a chance, a moment, where he might catch himself thinking the same about you. You wanted not to cherish all those moments you two were left alone, where he would give you an honest smile. And you wanted not to know how stupidly you looked right now, how your face was a bright red color, and how your eyes were locked on his.  
But as you struggled for air, feeling your heart beating faster and harder than it was ever before, you saw him turn his eyes to the floor, just for a split second. He probably prayed you wouldn’t have noticed that quick bite of his lower lip as he swallowed and looked away. Was that blood rushing to his cheek? Were you making him uncomfortable? Or was it because he was embarrassed you caught _him_ trying to look at you? You blinked, making yourself push that though aside. You won’t make yourself hope for something that might not happen. Something like this will destroy you, especially considering your strong feelings for him.

Kankri coughed behind you. He knew. He knew what just happened and witnessed the same emotions you felt. As you looked at him while keeping your face straight, you noticed he hasn’t changed his expression to anything you could indicate he might disapprove. But there was something else you couldn’t quite make out. The slightly furrowed brow. No, that wasn’t anger. That was concern. Sadness. Maybe even fear. He knew you couldn’t let go of your feelings. He knew there was no stepping back from what was happening. He didn’t think you would get caught and disciplined for this. He was sad thinking about you falling for him, only to find out your feelings weren’t reciprocated. And he feared for a good reason. He knew just how badly it would hurt you, just how much you would suffer if the Prince refused.

As he sat down, you finally found the strength to look away from him and focus on somebody else. You saw Jade walking down with Sir David at her side. Her hand rested on his arm, but you noticed how she put her other hand on top of his, trying to get what seemed the desired closeness she was not usually allowed to have. A wide smile embellished her face, her eyes trying to catch a glimpse of the knight’s face every now and them. He seemed to notice it, containing a smile that would escape him every now and them at the edge of his lips. The similarity to Dave was undeniable, but he was much thinner than him in the shoulders, his face more elongated, his skin paler, and unlike Dave who only had light freckles around his cheeks, nose, and shoulders, David had freckles all over his skin. Even on the back of his hands you noticed them stand out. Jade’s luxurious emerald gown couldn’t hide her riding shoes that weren’t necessarily going to be practical during dancing, but she never wore anything different, and a ball wasn’t going to keep her from being comfortable. Her hair had been tied and stylized, but a large part of it was still loosely falling over her back and shoulders. The short-sleeved bolero jacket had little dark green pearls sewn onto the edges and you could easily noticed her outlined muscles. You weren’t surprised at their sight. She was a hunter, after all, and handling a bow took its toll on shaping her body. David looked smaller in that sense compared to her. After they got seated, you noticed Jake getting out of the next carriage. Alone. A sole royal blue pillow in his hands, decorated with gilded lace at the edges. On the pillow, a profuse crown lay. It was shaped to delineate the aspect of breath, having little gems around it, and a few bigger ones in the front. Jake held his head high, keeping his gaze on the throne. He seemed so focused and serious, unlike his usual light-hearted poise. He stopped right behind the throne, the light from the stained glass dancing on his back and on his dark hair. Right as he settled, Jane emerged from the last carriage, offering her hand to John. She shone with pride, tried to conceal it under a strict expression, but the emotions got the better of her soon, and while she tried to keep her complete elegance, you saw her eyes getting filled with tears and a smile break on the corners of her lips. You doubted this was all about John’s coronation right now. You think it had to do with the fact she needed to prepare everything by herself, and take John to the throne instead of their mother. She was desperately trying to keep her calm, but you knew she was going to break down sooner or later today.

 

Everybody held their breath as John came down the aisle. His eyes were set on the throne, hoping that way he won’t break down. His step looked confident, but you noticed how his fingers nervously twitched on the hand that was set loosely on his side. He was clenching his other hand. Jane noticed it since her hand was under that arm, and she squeezed him a few times giving him the assurance she’s right next to him, that there’s nothing to be afraid of. His long cape dragged across the floor. The whole cape was made of thing fabric, so thin it was see through. On it there were delicate swirling patterns and flowers. At the edges, golden lace was sewn. The suit he wore was much more magnificent than those of all the other participants in the ceremony. The details on it were more exquisite, more fragile, and more extravagant than on any other attire. His lips quivered as he reached the stairs.  
Jane bowed, leaving him alone. He knew if he made a mistake, made a wrong step, say the wrong word, everybody would hear him. He took a quick look to his right, barely moving his head and hoping that the guests won’t notice. You knew he tried to look for Dave for reassurance, who was sitting there, in the middle. Dave gave him a simple nod and a smile. John couldn’t stop himself from not looking at Roxy as well. For the first time since the coronation begun, she smiled, gently nodding in the direction of the throne.

“Go, John! Everybody’s waiting”, she whispered, something only he and Dave could hear who was sitting right next to her.

John took a deep breath, then took a step, then another, and another, till he found himself on the top. Jake looked straight at him, but didn’t change his expression, even though he would have if he could. He was facing the audience, and wanted to keep his cool, but after seeing John’s horrified expression, he needed to bite his own lip to contain himself from giving him any words of encouragement. The dome was shaped so that any sound could be amplified and heard all around the mountain. Anything said by him would’ve been heard by even the furthest of the guests at the end of the meadow. John knew that very well. You could barely see him now, behind the pillars and the stained glass, but you could notice how his hands were trembling. He was unsecure when taking the few last steps toward the throne, and as he disappeared behind the pillars, you could only listen to what was happening, not see it as well.

 

John sat into the throne, facing the audience. His anxiety is getting the better of him now when he needs to look at all those important faces. A servant rushed from the side, taking the pillow, and handing the crown itself to Jake.  
Jake lifted the crown up, under the iridescent light coming from the stained glass. The light reflected from the shining gold of the crown, making the reflections dance on the dome and marble floor of the building. His hands held the crown steadily, as if he wasn’t nervous at all, but he was going through all of his words in his head, praying he doesn’t get something wrong. He took a deep breath before starting his speech.

“John the second of the Egbert bloodline, the Heir of Breath, and the rightful heir of the Kingdom of Blood formerly ruled by your father, John the first of the Egbert bloodline, you meet the right of accepting your faith as the next King of Breath, and therefore taking the land of your father, and claiming it under your own reign. Under your name, the late Kingdom of Blood will be renamed to the North Kingdom of Breath, according to the aspect you were born under”, Jake’s voice echoed throughout the peak of the mountain. All the commotion stopped; the dragons quietly listened, holding their breath so they could hear the ceremony better. Even the birds, which have earlier sung while flying above the mountains, have ceased their call and disappeared into the forest.

“In order to receive your title, you must give the ancient Promise of the Twenty Four Kingdoms”, Jake proclaimed, giving the signal to John that it is his turn to speak.

“I, John the second of the Egbert bloodline, son of John the first, the King of Blood, and Rosalyn, the Queen of Life, promise to protect my land under my reign. To fulfill my rightful duties as a ruler. To govern in order to keep my subjects safe. To seek peace, not war. To heed any requirements for military help from allied kingdoms. To always assure the kingdom under my rule is prospering, or doing everything in my ability in order to help for it to achieve prosperity”, you thought for a second he reached the end, but he only stopped to gather his breath before adding the last sentence to the Promise.

“And to do everything in my power in helping to destroy the common enemy, known as the horrorterros who operate under the guidance of the white wizard, and their king Lord English”, he stopped suddenly. His mouth tightly shut. It was never easy for him to speak of horrorterrors. You knew members his family, along with the families of his friends, have been killed off by them. Your throat tightened. So many have died already. This war has been going on for 400 years. Is it ever going to reach an end? In your lifetime, you doubt it.

“Then I, Jake the second, of the Harley bloodline, the King of Hope, and the rightful heir to my father’s throne, King Sedric, the former King of Breath, crown you, John the second of the Egbert bloodline, as the new king of the North Kingdom of Breath.”

Jake slowly lowered the crown onto John’s head, carefully putting it on and making sure it didn’t fall over his eyes or made his hair lose its shape. He stepped back, then around the throne, stopping at the top of the stairs. He turned around, gracefully swinging his cape to his arm, then kneeled down, lowering his head in bow. Quickly, the rest of the audience followed, first the royalty sitting right in front of the throne dome, than the others behind them. Like a wave, all of them kneeled down, honoring John’s name.

As John rose up, he hadn’t trembled anymore. A newfound courage took over him, and he rose to the feet with confidence. He stood in front of the throne chair, with his legs slightly apart, as the building started shifting. Wind rose as the dome disassembled from the pillars and rose up in the air. The pillars followed, plucked from solid ground and stone, levitating around John who was now a few feet in the air. His hands spread, as air flowed around him, rustling his clothes and hair, but not blowing too hard to take off his glasses or crown. The pillars separated with a crack. Thousands of tiny fragments of stained glass flew through the air. And as the pillars circled around him, the glass followed. The eyes of the new king were hidden behind a reflection in his glasses, and as the wind became stronger, everybody stood motionless, unable to move from sheer admiration or fear. A sudden high pitched shriek came from behind the cliff followed by eight dragons. They flew through the air, around John, performing difficult maneuvers. Their wings almost touched as they circulated around, their riders keeping them in formation. They were graceful, but provoked fear as they stopped and started levitating in a circle above the dome. They growled, showing the large sharp teeth. The scales and fins on the back of their necks spread, making them appear larger than they usually were. They roared in uniform, looking down at the king, waiting for his command. As they settled, silence struck. All the eyes were on them now, on John, on the dragons, on the shards of glass and the levitating pillars.

John moved his hand, slightly, and he pulled his fingers through the air, creating wind once again. But this was different. Gently like a breeze, it grasped the glass, turning them, pushing them above his head, above the dome. As a number of them reached the desired position, he suddenly clutched his hands together, making them shatter against each other. The dragons opened their mouths, revealing the fire in their throat. The flame hit the shards, heating them to an extreme temperature. The dragons’ eyes glistened under the flame, revealing their excitement, their suppressed desire for destruction. Their riders kept them in formation, making sure that the beasts don’t step out of line. As the flame disappeared after the dragons couldn’t sustain it anymore, the glass was mended into another stained glass window, one depicting a ruler in azure clothing, rectangular glasses covering his eyes. The sign of the wind was above the head, made from turquoise glass. The dragons continued flying in place. The dome started descending, the stained glass windows forming again into the rulers they once presented. The one representing John took the place between two pillars on the right side of the throne platform. John descended as the dome did, and finally put foot on solid ground. The dragons followed him, finding available space where they could. You saw Meenah and Cronus riding off with their riders towards the river.  
The audience suddenly rose with applause, congratulating the newly proclaimed ruler. Jake rushed to John, who felt weak as he took a step forward. He took one of his arms around him to give him support. John reached to his head which was pulsing from using such powerful magic at once.

“You’ll be alright, ol’ chap! Just need some time to rest! I remember I couldn’t have moved for the next six hours. Missed half of the ball”, Jake laughed as he took him down the stairs. Jane rushed to her brother, examining if he is alright, then rolled her eyes and stood at her feet.

“No time for rest, brother! We are to return to the castle and start the celebration!” she exclaimed, to which John gave s quiet grunt. He was so tired.

“Let me help you with him”, Dave jumped towards John and took his other arm around himself.

“You never could handle a drink, John”, he laughed, and John laughed back, still too weak to speak.

Jane started walking up the aisle, she was to sit with John in the carriage back to the castle, as they did when she was coming up the mountain. John followed, with Dave and Jake helping him to walk. A lot of people wanted to get a glimpse at John, congratulate him first, but Jake and Dave politely told them they will do that in the ballroom. There was plenty of time left in the day for every single one of them to wish him and Jane happy birthday, then to offer their presents. But not all of them could be first in line to do so, and many wanted such an honor. Especially the ones who wanted a dance with the King or the Queen. Jade and Sir David followed, behind them Rose with her sister and Dirk. You were decided to be the last one to leave, but you were interrupted by Kanaya shortly before Jade got up and headed down with her escort.

“You should go with them! You’re a royal knight after all!” she said, nodding at their direction. Kankri got up and greeted them. Porrim responded, but Kanaya was too busy trying to make you go.

“We will wait for you at the castle. I would go with you, but Porrim prefers flying over walking”, she said. You still weren’t convinced. Your ears lowered as you thought about people starring at you and Kankri. She lifted her head, glimpsing at Kankri after realizing what the problem was.

“Nobody can hurt you here. Stand tall, Karkat. If you show no fear, they will not protest to a you. If you are confident in what you are, or seem that way, you look to them fit for the position. Look down on them if they protest you, don’t let them look down on you”, she said, getting back to Porrim.

“We will meet you in the ballroom!” she said as Porrim jumped in the air, flying away from the mountain peak. You looked towards the Lalondes and Dirk who was escorting them. You still had time to catch up to them before the guests started rising.

You turned quickly to Kankri who was already waiting for you to get in the saddle, then climbed on, took the rains and instructed him to follow them.


	15. Put your emotions aside

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last of the bunch!
> 
> I never thought there would be such a gap between chapters 12 and 13, mostly because chapter 13 has been half-done since pretty much December. I just couldn't bring myself to finish it.  
> That's why I'm saying up front that I'm not sure when the next chapter will be coming out.  
> Still, I hope you like it.

The ballroom was heavily packed. You watched anxiously from your seat. The dinner was served on golden plates. A cooked boar was resting at the center of the semicircular table, right in front of Jane and John. They were laughing at something, their jolly voices echoing across the back of the hall. Their faces were red from wine. Everybody’s face. Even yours. You couldn’t resist. You were never much of a drinker, but Jane decided to spend a pretty penny on a sweet red wine from one of the better harvest years.

The dance was soon about to start. The orchestra was getting ready with the instruments. Tuning in their guitars, violins and violas, one cello, a few flutes, and a piano. You couldn’t take your eyes of them because as soon as they start, you are to go to the dancing area and dance with Kanaya. She asked you for the first dance. She and Rose probably decided to wait until the last moment in order to pair up with one another. You heard them assure you that it’ll be fine and that nobody will rebuke at their partnership. Because they will deny it. It is but a friendly game, Rose will say. She will lean to the person who dared to protest, and simply explain in whisper that Kanaya is in love with her, and how Rose merely wanted to be polite and accept the request to dance. It is only a dance, she would say, and it was only once. Or maybe twice. If she feels like it.  
But you weren’t worried for that. You were worried if you were going to be able to keep your eyes of the Prince. They would escape your will, and you would find yourself constantly glaring at him. He exchanged a few glances with you, looking surprised every time he caught you. From what you saw, he didn’t mind. You felt he was trying to look at you discretely as well, but failing. Oh, you hope it’s what has been happening. You tried to fight that feeling of hope at the mountain peak, tried to fight it all throughout these long months. But not anymore. You longed for him, and it was killing you.

 

Jane stood up, clapped her hands, looked at the orchestra whose maestro nodded at her. She cleared her throat, gathering everyone’s attention.

“Now, I recon we all got a chance to rest after the meal and I see some of us are eager to dance”, she gave her brother a look, who flushed. He had gotten so many requests to dance from so many young ladies. They all sheepishly approached him, (who wouldn’t after such a display at the coronation?), and asked for his permission to dance with him later in the night. He expected he would be the one who would need to ask women to dance, like it was accustomed, but found himself in a corner with so many people asking him. He couldn’t say no, although he wanted to. It was obvious he’s been meaning to ask Roxy who has been sitting a few seats away from him and smiling at him constantly. She even encouraged him to accept the invitations, which you found unusual, but you guessed it was just the way she is. She wanted John to have fun on the celebration, as she did for Jane.  
And Jane got quite a few invitations too, and blushed at every single one of them. Unlike her brother, she did refuse a few. You gather those are the people she didn’t even remotely like. Jane was the kind of person that saw good in everyone, and if she didn’t want to dance with somebody, well, you guess they’re one of the biggest assholes you could encounter. She also got a few requests from women, but refused them politely. She wasn’t interested, you guessed. Roxy would then interrupt, winking at them and offering herself instead. Some of them accepted, and she was very excited about getting the chance to dance with them. You doubted something as a romantic relationship would result from a simple dance, but a friendship could. You snickered at such exchanges. You doubt it is usually a custom for somebody to jump in and offer themselves instead of the person who refused. The whole process was laughable.

“So! Please, I ask the people who would like to dance to get to the open area in the front so we can begin!” she exclaimed, carefully making her way down herself, trying to remain her balance down the stairs.

You glanced at Kanaya who smiled and gave you a playful look. You couldn’t resist smiling back. You were glad she asked you for the first dance so you could have one more lesson before the real deal. Nobody asked you to dance but her. Yet, at least. The other knights might do so, but you will come back to your seat and wait for them to approach you. Although you found yourself liking dancing, you were still anxious about asking others. You sighed, got up, went towards her seat and took it out to allow her to leave the table. You offered your hand to her and she accepted, so you went to the podium. She swung her black dress around, taking the skirt into her free arm so it wouldn’t drag on the floor. It wasn’t as wide as the gowns of the queens, but it was luxurious nonetheless. With emerald patterns woven into the fabric, and with silver buttons down the corset. She wore a large silver hair pin to keep her hair from falling into her eyes.

You noticed how the other knights didn’t have such marvelous dresses and suits as you did. They were much simpler, with less details, looser stiches with a few unattached strings, cheap shoes, and rougher materials. There were trolls who would writhe in discomfort because the fabric was itchy, there were those who didn’t want to get up because their feet were swollen with blisters from their shoes. There were those who got frustrated and either decided to leave the ballroom, or just straight up loosened their corsets, unbuttoned a part of their jacket or shirt, or even took off their shoes because they knew others would barely notice it because of the long dress. You felt sorry for them, not being able to afford decent ballroom attire for such a large event. But it also made you feel special. Almost like you were royalty yourself.

The music started in the background. You bowed, as did Kanaya, and then started the dance. You didn’t even need to recoil the movements and where to put your feet, it just came naturally. You remembered how Kanaya pushed you to move as slick as you can, touching her so gently so she would barely feel it. You glided along the floor, in unison with the other pairs, sliding past them in slick steps. As it was time to do the turn, you grabbed her waist swiftly, lifting her off the floor as you rotated. As she laughed she silently lauded you for doing it perfectly. It was always the trickiest part of the dance and you smiled proudly as she gave you recognition for it. The dance soon ended, you bowed again, then took Kanaya’s hand and lead her back off the podium. As you were catching your breath moving out of the center, you noticed how many eyes were on you two. Not malicious, but stunned. They stared at you and Kanaya, admiring your attire, your poise and grace. You felt your cheeks burning as you basked in the praise. She looked proud of what she made out of you. Considering how you stumped around like an elephant during your first few lessons, you came a long way.

 

You were just about to take a breath during the next dance, because this first one, although not physically hard, was exhausting since you made it into a big deal and your worry got the better of you, when Rose approached you from the back, slithering to you like a snake. You almost jumped out of your skin when she spoke.

“I see you’re desperately trying to charm my girlfriend away from me”, she leaned to you, her hands behind her back.

“Rose! Fucking shit!” you yelled out, a little too loud since you’ve noticed a few people glance at you from the dance floor. You lowered your head hoping they will forget it happened.

“You scream like a twelve-year-old girl, Sir Vantas! How did John ever think you are suited for protecting a Prince?” she laughed. You gave her an annoyed look, lifting your lip slightly to show off your sharp teeth.

“Relax. I am not here to make fun of you. I am here to have fun”, she smiled, raising her eyebrows and assuring you she is not playing tricks on you. But you stupidly stared at her, hoping she will tell you what exactly she wanted. Phrase it with words, not vague expressions. She nodded at the people dancing.

“What? Are you not going to ask a lady to dance? Am I too ugly for your standards, Sir Vantas? I know you must find Lady Kanaya much more appealing because of her”, she looked at her knight and sighed, “height and poise, and her deep emerald eyes. But! I never thought you found me unworthy to get accompanied to the dance with you!” she acted insulted, but was obviously toying with you. She gathered a few looks from the nearby guests, and you felt ashamed how she made you look in front of them. While you did want to growl, you decided to remain pleasant, bowing out of courtesy.

“I apologize, my Lady, if you thought I offended you. But I am also surprised you think I would ever think of you as any less than the gracious Lady Kanaya”, you rose again, offering her your arm. She accepted it, puckering her lips at the comeback.

“Touché, Sir Vantas! Touché!” she exclaimed, leaving her devious smile, and putting on an effervescent expression. The second song ended, some pairs left on the floor, others left to rest. You joined the group, carefully listening to the beginning of the next song to know what kind of dance it is going to be. You put one hand on Rose’s waist, the other in her hand, and as the others begun, you joined them.

 

You were frequently asked to dance afterwards. Not just from people you knew, but by other royalty and knights too. The trolls that asked you were usually of lower blood casts, but there was one sea-dweller male that approached you. You weren’t used to so much attention, and at first, you were very stiff, but later on you realized it was no big deal and that you danced better when you didn’t focus on it. So you decided to talk to your partners. They were very interested in you, especially how it was to work for such an important person. But other themes also occurred. They asked you about how do you like the ball, where you learnt how to dance like this, how you liked Jane’s kingdom, even if any of your quadrants were open, to which you changed the subject. You never were comfortable with discussing your quadrants with strangers, even though it wasn’t unusual to do so. You guessed some trolls will in fact fulfill some of their quadrants today. It was, after all, the perfect event to do it. There were lots of new people, and you doubt there will be a gathering this big any time soon. You noticed some knights leaving inconspicuously together through the doors, but it didn’t matter to you. Why should it? It wasn’t your business.

When you were resting, you either stood on the side, drinking some wine, or you went back at the table to get something to eat. Somebody was always at the table. Roxy was never. She just continued dancing, asking pretty much everybody if they wanted to join her. John would watch her from the side, a constant smile present on his face. Dave would sometimes point it out, but usually left his friend alone to enjoy the view. When he wasn’t teasing him, he was dancing with women, the rulers of other kingdoms. You felt envy boiling in you. You could picture every single one of them being courted by him. It wasn’t even impossible: most of the princesses were single, even some of the younger queens who were also left without their parents. Envy changed into pity, pity changed into sorrow. You are torturing yourself like this. Every time he smiled in your direction you were left staring at him. Every time he gazed towards you, you lost your breath. Holy shit you’re pathetic!

 

Your heart ached as you watched him, and you reached towards your chest, hoping your touch would settle it. You felt the golden pin underneath your fingers and looked down it instantly. It was incredibly fragile. You needed to be extremely careful when you handled it. You wouldn’t want to break such a valuable thing. Not only because it was expensive, but because it was priceless since it was a gift from the Prince himself.  
You couldn’t stop thinking about that event. How while you were standing at the side of the meadow in front of the castle, underneath the trees to escape into the refreshing cool of the shadows, he approached you. He looked so stupidly nervous, rubbing his fingers onto his pawns, trying to stop them from sweating. He didn’t look at you, not directly, not until he showed you the small package in his left hand. You remember it as the package he picked up from the merchant woman at the market, the one selling the beautifully made blades. Your eyes widened in interest, but you remained still. He was trying to show you that secret item he bought, you thought. You wondered what it might be and for who it might have been meant for.

“It turned out John did like the sword! A lot, actually”, he said cheerfully, but you could hear the slight anxiety in his voice.

“I’m glad. Turns out you actually know something about your lifelong best friend and sometimes even listen to him”, you smirked, looking towards the people who were gathering around the two horses ready to race over the bridge.

“Very funny, Vantas”, he rolled his eyes. You felt his stance get a little more relaxed as he shifted to look at the riders tipping their horses which then ran into the forest. The audience laughed, cheering them on and yelled after them.

“But I came here, for a different matter…”, he started, avoiding to look at you.

“It’s been… around six months since you started working for John. Six months for needing to put up with me. And don’t deny it”, he laughed nervously, scratching the back of his neck, “because I’m pretty sure I make everyone’s life at least ten times harder. I sometimes… I’m a lot of work to.. You know… To take care of.”  
You clenched your fist, hoping he didn’t notice. Your throat narrowed as you struggled not to tell him it was not a difficult task. That you had fun. You liked his company. You liked sparring with him. You liked to go hunting with him. And frankly, he made your life more interesting.

“Personally, it feels like it’s only been a couple of months at most”, you stated simply, giving him a slight smile, but still keeping your gaze forwards. He bit his lip. You only noticed it at the corner of your eye, but you think that was a smile, and that he was glad you did in fact deny it.

“Well, six months, and I don’t think I ever thanked you for your service”, now you looked at him, not sue of what is going to follow. Is he just being nice? Or is there another motive in his words?  
He unwrapped the little item, careful not to damage it, revealing a pin. It was the type of pin that would hold the cape in place, but it was the most divine thing you have ever seen. It was a large golden crab holding a ruby in its pincers. The needle went through a hole between the center two legs of one side, then through the same place on the other side of its body. It was perfectly symmetrical, with the ruby being round while the crab’s body surrounded it. The ruby glistened in a polished crimson red, and you were struck by how clear it was. A gem this big and of such clarity must have cost a fortune, and not to mention it was attached to such a fine piece of art that probably had the same price as the ruby itself.

“Alise usually doesn’t create things like this. She specializes in daggers and hunting knives, as you saw yourself. But her work is exceptional, and I couldn’t help but commission her for a personal piece. Something that… You could wear regularly and would come in handy.”

You couldn’t take your eyes off of it, and as he extended his arm towards you to hand it to you, you felt worried it might shatter between your fingers. His hand brushed against yours and you looked at him as your hand burned to his touch. He met your eyes, then quickly looked at the two riders coming back towards the start line, trying to ignore your gaze. You bit your lip as you removed the pin you had before and replaced it with the present he just gave you. It was perfect, and you couldn’t find words to express your gratitude. Your mouth opened, and you swiftly looked at him, then at the pin again, then finally back at him.

“I don’t know… What I did that you think I deserve this, but… Thank you, Sire”, you turned your body towards him, then bowed.

“Fucking hell, Vantas! I thought we dropped the Sire thing ages ago! I mean, yeah, you work for me, but you’re my friend! Have you ever seen John address me formally? No! That son of a bitch calls me whatever he likes to”, he tried to look annoyed and insulted, but you saw blood rushing to his face.  
You stood motionless. This was probably the first time you ever heard him call you your friend. Your heart beat in your chest as you tried to think if there was any appropriate response to this remark. You forced yourself to relax, to smile as you looked in front of you again.

“One day you’re going to regret that decision because I’m going to get used to calling you an asshole.”

“Like you don’t call me an asshole now”, he laughed, and you joined him.  
Then looked at him.  
“Thanks, Dave. I appreciate it.”

“Don’t mention it”, a slight smile decorated the corner of his lips.

You looked at the pin in your hands. The ruby shimmered under the candlelight of the chandeliers. The music stopped and the dance ended. Couples and pairs exchanged and were getting ready for the second one. A lot of people were now already tired, sitting at the sides and respiting, but the dancing floor was still full. You caught a glimpse of Jade spinning around with David. Her face gleamed with delight as he picked her up and did a twist. He couldn’t hide his grin either, revealing his white teeth.

 

“Are you enjoying the ball? I saw you got a lot of requests before”, Dave suddenly appeared behind you. You guessed he was tired from spending so much time entertaining the young women. Truthfully, some of them _were_ quite talkative. Only wanted to know what kinds of books you read. Not because they wanted to talk about the books themselves, but to make a judgment on your knowledge and intellect. You would find out you read more books and of much more variety than they did, and you found it quite tiresome. They had so much time and money to be able to read all sorts of glorious books, but they spent it on shallow things like new jewelry. Pitiful.

“I finally got a chance to get some time for myself. Most of the women here are so mundane. Want to talk about idiotic subjects like what type of tea I like best. As if my taste in tea would make me any more amiable to them”, you scoffed. There was some older lady who asked you about that at the beginning of a dance. You knew she was going to bore you to death by the end of it. Dave laughed at your observation and sat down, pouring himself some more wine. It wasn’t his glass, but it didn’t matter. You were glad he sat next to you so you had somebody to talk to.

“They generally ask that as a reason to invite you over at their place. I would always make up a plant and they would spent the next few months trying to figure out where to find it. Stupid creatures these other rulers are. They bask in their money and pretend to know everything, when in reality”, he laid back onto the chair and put his feet on the table, “they think the succadick plant is great for making tea”, he took a sip of his wine, shook his head, then made a disgusted expression.

“I had enough wine for tonight. Can’t bring myself to drink some more”, he noticed you were staring at the dancers. Jade’s agile movements hypnotized you. The wine probably had an effect on you as well, making you doze off.

“I’m not a big alcohol drinker myself. This is the most I had in a while and I’m worried it might take its toll on me if I drink some more”, you responded.

“I never was a heavy drinker either. My cousins can handle much larger amounts of alcohol than I can”, he sighed, looking at Roxy lively laughing while whirling around another girl.

“Maybe that’s the reason I decided not to let myself fall under its effect. I saw how it destroyed them after they lost their parents. I think it nearly killed Rose. If Kanaya hadn’t taken care of her…”, he looked at the glass, then put it back onto the table.

“Nasty shit, I say”, he wondered through the crowd to find Rose, then saw her talking to Kanaya, glowing with exuberance as the knight smiled back at her. You looked at Dave, trying to decipher if he is currently fine, or had this conversation made him recoil moments of his life that he tried to forget, that made him somber over the past. He didn’t look at you, but you presumed he noticed you got worried, so he turned to you with a hesitant look.  
You knew he wanted to say something, to comment, or to ask, but he was reluctant in doing so. He glanced at the dance floor once more before getting back to you. But even then you noticed how his cheeks flushed. Or was it just alcohol?

 

“Do you… Do you want to dance? With me”, he asked, standing up. He found himself not able to directly look at you, so he turned to the orchestra.  
“This song is coming to an end. And we both don’t have a partner from what I see, and I…”, he turned back to you, “would like to dance. With you.”

You blinked, trying to process what he just said to you. Your hands were shaking so you clenched your fists together hoping that he wouldn’t notice. Your mouth was tightly shut, otherwise you would have already blurred out the answer. You needed to think about this. You wanted to think about this. But your mind was screaming to accept. You felt your throat tighten and you felt as if your heart was going to burst out of your chest. You doubted he didn’t notice that your face became dark red, that your eyes constantly avoided any contact with his image.

“Sure”, you said almost too quickly. You were sure he just asked you half a second ago, but it felt like a whole fucking minute. You were worried he was going to take the proposal back if he saw you hesitating, so you only slightly panicked. Okay, you panicked a lot. And you were still doing it.

“Why the fuck not?” you added, standing up and getting away from the table, putting the chair back to its place.

He offered you his hand, and you stood there with uncertainty. You were terrified. You felt cold sweat rolling down your temples. But you reached out, accepted his hand and couldn’t help but glimpse at him. He kept his head straight, acting as if it was no big deal, but in the moment he felt you touch his arm, and actually agreeing to go through this, he twitched his arm slightly, clenched his hand into a fist to control himself. He seemed as if he was shaking. Even this simple touch, this moment where you were both so close to each other in contrast to other times, felt as if there is nothing else that matters in the world. You were walking next to each other, hand in hand, seemingly calm on the inside, but you felt like you could stop breathing any minute. That you would just forget to take in air. That you would be so completely submerged in this tiny evanescent moment, that your heart would forget how to beat again. Your legs felt insecure, like you were going to fall on the floor if you lose even a fragment of your balance.

You would have been worried about what the others were whispering about you two. You would’ve felt ashamed as they looked at you with disgust while you walked down the stairs with the Prince at your side. You would’ve been angry at yourself for accepting such a foolish request. You would have been petrified of the thought what they might do to you. But you weren’t. You only thought about how he was right there next to you, how he asked you to dance with him, and how you needed to remember the steps. You paid no attention to the angered observers. You paid no attention to Kanaya and Rose who stared at you with a smirk. You paid no attention to the people who stepped back from you.  
He was the only one that matters.  
He was the only one you could think about.

You reached the center of the dancing area, at the heart of the large symbol of life. He guided you with his hand to face him, and you found yourself right across him. Your eyes were locked on his, unable to look anywhere else. And as the music started playing, you were surprised it was as light-hearted as it was. It wasn’t going to be heavily emotional, it wasn’t going to be a slow song. This was one that was quick, that was concentrated around the movement and the individual, not the pairs as a whole. It will ease up the tension, especially because you would have probably found yourself unable to dance to a song that required the two of you to waltz.

You lifted your arm, pressing your wrist against his, waiting for the first note to which the first step was to be made. There were no leads in the dance, and it was a dance that was popular because it was joyful. But it was also difficult. You pray that all those lessons with Kanaya would help you now when you needed it most. This was not a dance you often went over. The steps were complicated, and partners get switched a few times throughout the length of the song, so no matter how many times you practice, you could never be sure if you did it perfectly.

The maestro waved his hand, signaling the string players to start, and you instinctively switched your feet to the right position. You followed the song, hit every note perfectly as you moved around, constantly right across Dave. He was executing every move without error, and you noticed his foot work was obviously better than yours. You had no problem keeping up, but the fact that you only had a month or so to prepare was slowly starting to show. He was smoothly gliding across the floor, performing distinct aspects of the dance with more grace. He seemed to notice you were concentrating too hard not to make a mistake, and as the part of the song came where you needed to get closer together, he took it upon himself, as a challenge, to stop you from focusing on the dance itself, and just enjoy it.

Three, two, one! And he grabbed you around the waist, his right hand locked in your left, and your other hand on his shoulder. You were so close to one another that if you took a wrong step in any direction, both of you would fall. His chest was pressing on yours and you could feel his warm breath on your cheeks. Your hands were holding him too tightly, but you couldn’t help yourself; your uneasiness was heavily influencing your actions. He recognized the anxiety in your tightly closed lips, your shallow breathing, and your eyes that constantly avoided him. You feared if you looked at him, you wouldn’t be able to look away.

“Karkat! Even if you fall and take me fucking with you, that’s the worst shit that can happen! Nobody will mind! I won’t mind! It happens! Just stop concentrating on the music, stop thinking about what you’re doing wrong, and focus on something else! Focus on me! Keep your eyes on me and forget what’s happening around you”, he smiled, and in the next moment, you two separated, getting into the initial position.

You wanted to object, but even before you could make a clearer judgment, your gaze was locked onto his eyes. His light expression emitted the feeling of joy. His eyes were narrowed, telling you he was sincerely and completely happy. His freckles darkened under the red of his cheeks, and you couldn’t help but respond with the same ardor. The whole world blurred around you, nothing else mattered. You found yourself on a ball, dancing with the Prince, who asked _you_ to dance, not the other way around. Who enjoyed your company and wanted to celebrate with you. Who cared about you. Who wanted you to be happy and savor this moment, savor this dance and celebration.

The song took a turn, altering its melody, and you instinctively stepped to the right, your hand losing the touch of his, and finding itself in the hands of another person, a woman who was moments before dancing with her partner right next to you. While you kept a smile on your face, you couldn’t help but attentively seek to find Dave in the crowd. Your eyes met as you realized he was doing the same, constantly trying to get even the slightest glimpse at you. You didn’t mind. What is more, you actually reveled in it. You started treating it as a challenge, as a game where the point is to keep your eyes on each other as long as you could before somebody broke it off. It took another exchange and another loop before you got back to him, and you felt inpatient like a small child to get what you wanted.  
And you wanted him close. You wanted to feel his hand in yours even if you could barely sense your fingers. And as he approached you, as you were both chest to chest with each other again, as he slid his hand on your waist, you only wanted to be closer. To feel his heart beat against yours. To feel your skin burn underneath his fingertips. To listen to his soft and melodious voice. To go through his silk white hair while he breaths into your ear, moaning out as you kissed his neck. To experience his feathery skin brush against yours. His eyes glistened as you looked at him and you found yourself lost in their fire, as if the flame engulfed your whole being, trapped you inside a violent prison of adoration, of pure passion and desire. You wanted to lean close to him. You wanted to take this moment as yours and finally steal a kiss from him. But alas, you were a coward. A coward and an idiot.

The song ended, and you stepped away from him, giving yourself enough space to bow. His expression stayed the same, but you got back to hating how you let yourself get dragged into such a fantasy. You _were_ an idiot! Only a mere fool thinks a knight can end up with a Prince. Only a fool wouldn’t think this through and will suffer the consequences of your action. Only a fool would confuse fantasy with reality!

 

“What is the meaning of this?!” the yell silenced the ballroom. You turned around, seeing a small man in a black suit approach you. His eyes were burning with anger as he stomped towards you grabbing the handle of his sword in a hostile manner.

“A knight dancing with no other than the Prince of Time?!”, you stepped back, showing your teeth but careful not to make a wrong move. You didn’t know who this was, and why he would care about you, but you doubt it only has to do about following protocol. No, he has an ulterior motive. One you haven’t found out about yet, but are sure going to.

“Caliborn! What is the matter with you?!” a girl appeared behind him. Her pearl white dress dragging across the floor as she rushed towards him.

“Not now Calliope!” he hissed at her and she sunk her head between her shoulders.

“Knights are forbidden to form relationships with humans! Let alone male knights with princes!” he took out his sword and pressed the point of it on your throat. You reached toward your scabbard, growling and in the same time presenting a barrier between him and Dave.

“You should be slaughtered”, he raised his head, pressing the blade tighter against your skin. The sharp edge sliced through it, and blood started dripping down the blade. It stung, but it didn’t penetrate further in. You frowned, taking your sword out and slamming it against his. He took a step back, his eyes wide open at the sight of your bright blood color and the fact you just dared to oppose him.

“Who the fuck are you to even call me out on such a thing?!” you scoffed.

“You are quick to assume, Duke Caliborn. I have done nothing which would prove any accusations you have thrown at me and my knight”, Dave stepped forward, shielding you from him.

“Quick my ass! Everybody in this room saw you two dance! Everybody saw how close you were! How he was basically covered with your hands!” he looked at you with a disgusted expression. You growled, aggressively trying to move past Dave and attack this fucking son of a bitch, but Dave stopped you by putting his arm up.

“We have done nothing which you could provide as proof. The Spring Minuet is meant to be danced that way, as you could see based on the other couples”, Dave stated, asserting himself towards the smaller man. He stepped forward to him, trying to appear more dominant.

“Such serious charges, if not backed up with some hard evidence, can hurt your image more than it will mine. Or that of my knight.” Caliborn squinted, finding himself in a corner.

“I dare say, Duke Caliborn, you seem as if you are deliberately trying to desecrate my brother’s image. Some could imply it is for your own personal motives, not for the good of the society. Being the Lord of Time, aren’t you the next in line for the throne of the Kingdom of Time, the Kingdom my brother is to inherit because of his powers?” Dirk stepped towards Caliborn’s left, right in front of his sword. You weren’t sure how the fuck this inheritance thing worked. You thought it only had to deal with who you are related to. Obviously not. You decided not to dwell on it any longer, and concentrate on Dirk. His stoic figure intimidated Caliborn, and you could see the Duke step back, his face showing the slightest touch of fear. There was no question that Dirk threatened him, and others noticed it too, but he didn’t want to drop the subject just yet.

“The mere thought of me having any other intentions but holding the law is extremely insulting, King Dirk”, his upper lip was exposing his teeth, and you noticed he was clenching the handle of his sword firmer.

“What is insulting is that you come to the coronation of the new King of Heir, then decide to disturb everyone’s entertainment by accusing his best friend of breaking the law! You embarrass yourself, Duke Caliborn! And in front of all these people! I doubt anyone could forget such a scene! It will haunt you for the rest of your life”, this was the first time you noticed Dirk exhibiting such strong emotion of wrath. He still remained poised, but his golden eyes glowed with anger.

“You dare mock me?!” Caliborn shouted, lifting his sword and swinging it towards Dirk. You moved out of reflex, trying to get closer to them, stopping the blade with your sword that was already drawn, but Strider was quicker, clashing his sword in a flash against Caliborn’s. He looked at him with a frown, but with a much softer expression, knowing the Duke did the fatal mistake of assaulting a member of the royal family.

“Your sword slipped, Duke”, he hissed, but you saw the slightest smile as he took his sword back.  
“You should be careful it doesn’t happen again”, and with that, he dismissed him, nodding towards the exit of the castle, signaling the Duke to get lost. Caliborn was obviously unhappy about that, so he growled, turned around harshly, took ahold of Calliope’s arm and walked out. He was obviously hurting her, but you couldn’t do anything about it.

“Fuck! That was intense!” Dirk exclaimed, scratching his head and rocked back. He seemed dizzy. Jake jumped forward to him, but he waved his hand, showing him his fine.

“I think… I’m going to… Go get a drink”, he turned, looked at his brother and you witnessed an awkward stare off before he walked out of the dance floor. Dave stood motionless in front of you, looking at Dirk as Jake escorted him towards the table above you.

“Do you mind… Going out to take a breath with me?” he asked, still processing what just happened.

“No, sure, I can use some fresh air”, you added bluntly, your eyes still wide open from what just happened.

You followed the Prince outside, listening to Jane declare everything is fine and how the ball should continue. The music started again. People will whisper for some time, but it’ll eventually die down. You hope. There was a smaller door on the left wall, behind the pillars and underneath the table at which Dirk held his head and was laughing at what just happened while Jake tried to calm him down. He did, after all, try to keep his calm throughout the whole fiasco, but all those emotions that went through him at the moment Caliborn drew his sword on him were finally affecting him.

***

Dave took you away from the ballroom. You thought he wanted to go out into the yard, but he was clearly headed towards one of the higher towers of the castle. Your heart still raced from this accusation and your anxiety started affecting you again, making you lose your breath as you walked up the stairs and tried to keep up with the Prince. This incessant climbing is just giving you more room to think about what just happened. You just wanted to stop. To pause and think about something else. Anything other than this.

Dave reached the top, opening the small wooden gate that led to the top of the tower. The handle was rusty and the door creaked as it opened. He climbed up, giving you his hand to help you get through it as well. You looked around you. It was dusty, the cold stones covering the floor. You got up and dusted your clothes, hoping there won’t be any permanent residues on it. The stars above you shined brighter than you ever seen them. You were sure the bluish stroke that went across the sky was the outline of the galaxy. The moon was low, far at the horizon, and you were glad because its glow would have hidden most of the stars. You walked around, gazing at the distant giants, cold air rustling your hair. You approached the edge, looking over the stone barricade that kept you over the edge. The town underneath the castle twinkled in the dark night. It was so quiet outside. Even the loud noise from the ballroom barely reached you.

“That was fucking crazy!” Dave threw his hands in the air then grabbed his hair. He grinned, looking at the floor and trying to make himself believe that this was in fact reality. That this really happened.

“Holy fucking shit, Karkat! He… He stood in front of me! Have you seen him?! Holy shit! He fucking decided to cover me!” you approached him, smiling along with him.  
“And we fucking… We fucking danced!”, he looked at you.  
“You were amazing! Who the hell taught you how to dance?!” he grasped your arms.

“Kanaya helped me out. We spent almost 3 hours each day practicing. If she hadn’t, I believe your feet would be filled with blisters from me stepping on them”, you laughed.

“Figures! I bet Rose had her fingers in it as well! Shit!” he shook his head, not being able to contain his excitement.

“And I swear! It felt so perfect! All the other royalty has nothing on you! I hated the moment we exchanged partners! Holy shit! Dancing with you was so… Was so impeccable! I couldn’t stop looking at you! I couldn’t stop smiling! It was the most fun I had in years!” You blushed as he let you go, turned towards the town down under the mountain to take a breath, then faced you again.

“And the times you held me close, and when we would dance in unison across the floor, and when I looked at you I found myself drifting from reality, and every time we laughed, every time you laughed, I swear I could have just…”, he suddenly stopped, gazed at you as you were standing in front of him, your eyes peering into his.  
His hands reached towards your head so quickly that you couldn’t react. He pulled you down, his body locked on yours, and he kissed you. His sweet lips pressed against yours finally allowing you to bask in their softness, to completely lose yourself in his touch. Your hands felt weak as you tried to reach out to him. But just as you were about to close your eyes and let yourself drift away from every single thought you have ever had, every single doubt and question, he separated from you. His eyes wide, his mouth agape. He glanced at your lips, then at you, and turned to the side. He covered his mouth with his hand, the other one resting at your chest.

“Holy shit!” you heard him whisper. He wanted to look at you again, to face you, but he hesitated.  
“I am so fucking sorry! I didn’t even fucking think about this!” he groaned trying to hide himself in embarrassment.

“I don’t know what I was thinking! The last thing you wanted is an asshole like me make a move on you! I had too much fucking wine to pull a stunt like this!”  
You bit your lip, looking at him and wanting to get away from him. You should have gotten off the tower, called it a night and went back into your room. You should have forgotten about all of this, but you had no control over yourself. You grabbed his wrist, made him turn to you and look you in the eyes.

“Jegus, Strider, I thought I was obvious with how much I fucking fell for you but it turns out you’re as dumb as you look”, your cheeks were burning as he lifted his eyebrow in confusion. You shut your eyes, growled at the thought of spelling it out for him to make it even clearer. 

“I want you to kiss me. Again!”

There was a moment where you just both stood there, looking dumb folded at each other, waiting for the other one to make a move. To say something, anything really. But he clenched his teeth, stepped towards you, put his hands around your face so he could pull you closer to him, and pressed his lips against yours again. You grabbed him around his waist, feeling his hipbones underneath your hands, and you pulled him towards yourself.

His lips were so warm, and you found him completely irresistible. You just wanted to get closer, feel his body against yours as your mouth interlocked with his. There were moments when he would catch his breath, breathe into your mouth, and you waited for him before you continued. But in that short second it seemed ages have passed. You grasped him tighter, heavily breathing as he let out silent moans. You never imagined this would be real, you in his embrace, kissing under the stars. But you couldn’t think about the past or the future now, only about the present. About his silken skin pressed against yours, about how his kiss was so dangerously sweet you might not able to separate yourself from him. Your chest burned as you felt his hands rubbing against your sensitive horns.

“Fuck”, you moaned out, slightly opening your eyes and detaching your lips from his. You exhaled clouds of warm breath as you tried to calm your breathing. He chuckled, a smirk across his face.

“Maybe we should… Go somewhere else”, he laughed, kissing you again. His moans were getting louder and you found it was harder for you to remain your balance as you started to move closer to him. You fantasized about pinning him onto a wall, about trapping him with your body as you passionately kissed him. About taking his shirt off as he undid yours.

“Where?” you asked, quickly getting back to kissing him. You felt as if you stopped, you would never get a second chance. And you longed for his hot touch. 

“To my room”, he broke off from you, looked you in the eyes. His lips were redder than they have been before, marked with a few tiny cuts from your teeth as they stroke against them.

“Only if you want to”, he took a deep breath, taking a step back to maintain his balance. You don’t think there was a part of you that wanted anything else, so you focused on controlling your breathing and looked back at him.

“Lead the way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't really say what will happen in the next chapter. I have some plans, and I want to go through with them, but writting smut scenes is never easy for me considering I'm extremely sex repulsed.  
> I wait for inspiration to come to me, hoping it'll come on the same day when I'm feeling up to write such a thing.  
> It's complicated, and I don't want to go into details, but I just wanted to make a note saying that the next chapter is probably going to take longer than usual.
> 
> Thanks for sticking with me! <3


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